Soul Searchers 'Seven Devils' Book Two
by Red Fauxie
Summary: AU story. Second in the mini-series of two paranormal investigators, Punk & April. Having gotten over the initial shock of discovering they really can stand each other, they're joined by Chris Jericho and Kelly Kelly. Things start to kick into high gear as the first of the seven deadly sins start to wreak havoc among the team one by one.
1. I'm not your valet I'm your friend

**AU story, second in the series of Soul Searchers. This one is called Seven Devils, and follows April and Phil along on another spirited journey. They are joined by Chris Jericho and Kelly Kelly as all four set out for another investigation!**

* * *

He didn't leave her a message. He didn't know quite what to say, suddenly regretting going so overboard with replacing her ruined underwear with a month's worth of bedroom booty. In his own defense, once he was on the website scrolling through all the beautiful things, he couldn't just stop at one... he wanted her to have everything. He considered at the time what he did send her was showing great restraint on his part.

Putting the phone down he opened up his lap top, there had to be something he could do to take his mind off this... thing. Oh how he hated the _thing_... She had completely gotten under his skin, and of course it was eating him alive. He knew it would. The image of her sad, brown eyes, wet with tears at O'Hare invaded his mind... and kissing her... Jesus... He had to find a way to stop torturing himself before he went crazy.

It was at that moment his phone started to jump across the desk, vibrating as another call came in. When he looked at the screen, he felt his heart stop. He almost disconnected the call in his frantic effort to answer it.

"April?"

"Phil!"

Her happy go lucky tune chirped into his ear, and he caught himself grinning like an idiot for it.

"Hey, how are you?" He sat up straight, concentrating on the voice at the other end. "Have you warmed up yet?"

April let go of a cute little giggle. "Yeah, I think so... Listen, Phil," Her voice took on a more more sobering tone now. "I just got your package."

He stilled, unsure where she would go from there.

"Oh... uh, do you like it?" He was almost afraid to ask her. Here was where she would tell him he was being ridiculous and had no business sending her all that sexy stuff.

"Actually, I didn't like any of it." She sounded so serious, and tried really hard to contain herself. She could tell by his silence that he was now properly mortified. "I _loved_ it."

"Y-you did?"

She smiled. It was cute to her that he was afraid she'd be offended. "Of course I did. What girl doesn't love getting sexy underwear from her boss? Thank you very much Phil, for replacing my stuff."

"Oh good!" The relief in his voice was evident as he dragged his hand over his face. "I'm glad you liked everything."

A long, uncomfortable silence crept in between them, and for a moment Phil thought she might have hung up.

"Look, I need to apologize for running away from you like that at the airport. I, I don't know why I did that."

"Oh, that's okay." He brushed it off for her. He wasn't going to admit how twisted his gut was, and how he could barely drive himself home afterwards. "I know, I was no better." The truth was that she'd pulled at his strings a little more than he thought was ever possible. "We're just the kind of people that can't handle saying goodbye at an airport, that's all. It's one of those mandatory requirements for being a human being, I guess. No big deal, okay?"

"Okay... Listen, I also wanted to thank you for something else, Phil." She started to say, nervously twisting the phone cord between her fingers. "I got a call from your producer yesterday, and... well, he offered me a full time position with you and the rest of the team!"

Phil knew his producer was going to call and invite her aboard permanently. "Congratulations! That's terrific, but April, you got that because you earned it. No other reason."

* * *

"_Hey, Punk!"_

_Phil rolled his eyes. He was this close to going home and Cena must have smelled it. "What do you want, John?"_

"_I want to know your impressions of April Mendez." John asked. "Is she right for the team, or what? And please," he held up his hands, "I don't want to hear any of your long winded opinions about mediums, I just want a run down of her skills and how helpful she was in the field."_

_This was going to be so easy... "Okay, I'll tell you, but once I'm done, I want you to take my suggestion and run with it. I'm not usually wrong where people are concerned."_

_John started to smile already. He fully expected Punk to start complaining, spewing some garbage about how ill suited she would be for their out fit, how she was too inexperienced... what he got was not what he expected._

"_I liked her. She was professional, a huge help, and knew how to set up the cameras without direction or prompting. In fact, I didn't have to ask her to do very much, really. She just took the initiative and ran with it." He left out the part where she zoomed in on his ass. _

"_So she's got what it takes? You're sure you want us to hire her?"_

_Punk started scrolling through his phone and turned to leave. "Hire her John. She's awesome, and I want her."_

* * *

"Well just the same, thank you for anything you might have said to help me get this job." She sighed, thinking about how close they had been in that sleeping bag, and how accurate her vision had actually been.

"Listen, while I still have you on the phone... John mentioned you'd be in town to get set up. Do you need a ride from the airport to the office? I mean, I can pick you up... no need to go through the hassle of a cab in a city you don't know."

She could hear the hopefulness in his voice, but it paled in comparison to how hopeful she felt about him. "I would love a ride from the airport, thank you so much Phil. Is there anything I can do to repay you, for everything?"

Punk sat there a moment, and he let go of a light hearted laugh. "Well... there might be something you could do."

Her heart started to thud against her ribs with excitement. "Name your price." _Any price._

"Let me take you out for a coffee. I know a few great little cafes, I'm sure we could find one that will let us sit on our asses there for hours."

"All right, sounds like a plan." She was sure he could hear her face cracking from her giddy grin through the phone. "I'll text you with my flight information, okay?"

"You got it Ape." _She said yes, she said yes, she said yes..._.

"It's April..."

"Yeeaas Apriiiiil."

God, that man could drawl out the most mundane things and make them sound sexy.

* * *

"So, I hear you hired a newbie." Chris walked into the office and sat himself down at his desk. "I hear she's a _clairvoyant_."

"Kelly's eyes instantly snapped over to Chris and she gasped. "She's a what?" Turning to John, she flipped her long, blonde mane aside and started laughing. "You realize Punk is going to have a field day with this, don't you? He hates them."

John stood up and looked out the window. "They should be here any minute."

"They? I thought you said you hired one girl." Chris asked, looking a little puzzled.

"I did. Punk's picking her up at the airport and bringing her right here."

"Punk?" Both Kelly and Chris declared in unison.

"Are you sure Punk should have been trusted to bring her back here unscathed, I mean... the minute he finds out what she is, it'll be game on... like feeding day at the zoo, John. He's merciless." Kelly couldn't help feeling sorry for the young woman right away.

"Punk, of all people? John what the hell were you thinking?" Chris asked, not sure what was in John's head.

"Hey, I thought that too, but... Punk asked for her. I didn't hire her, he did."

* * *

She spotted him casually leaning against a concrete column scrolling through his phone as usual. It had been so long since she saw him, she could feel her eyes sting a little, and she rubbed at them with the sleeve of her sweater. She didn't want her hello to be as abysmal as her goodbye.

He was wearing a pair of black jeans and an old Buffalo Sabres hockey jersey over his white tee shirt, his dark brown leather jacket slung lazily over his left shoulder. Narrowing her eyes as she approached, she noticed there was something oddly different about him. His colourful tattoos still adorned his well defined arms, and he had one hand shoved into his pocket. He hadn't seen her yet and that was when she noticed it. His hair... it had been cut and he had shaved... His dark, sexy, sooty hair still fell past his eyes up front, just kissing his cheek bones, but tapered off very short as it went back towards his neck. All that had remained of his scruffy beard was an extremely closely trimmed bit of whiskers over his lip and on his chin. The cutest thing about his whole ensemble were the black rimmed glassed perched at the end of his nose. He looked a lot younger than his thirty four years. Did her heart just skip a beat? Yes, yes it did, she was certain.

"Phillip!" She screamed across the terminal, garnering the attention of several passers by and air travelers alike.

He looked up to see the little sprite charging towards him at a full run, arms outstretched and ready to pounce. He'd be a liar if he didn't admit he felt his heart swell a little. He barely had time to pocket his phone before she jumped into his arms, circling her lithe legs aptly around his hips and closing her arms around his neck. She knocked his glasses off and closed her eyes, whispering into his ear.

"I missed you. Did you miss me?"

"Does a man miss a bad rash?" He gave her one more selfish squeeze before setting her down on her feet, his hands resting on her shoulders. The perturbed look on her face told him he'd better correct himself fast. "Of course I missed you." He told her, unable to look right at her when he said it.

Fishing his glasses out of her top, she smirked at him and held them out to him. "I had no idea you wore glasses, Phil."

He ran his tongue along his bottom lip and slid his palms up and down along her arms for a moment. "They're the reason I don't like to drive at night, actually." He admitted, dragging his hand through his hair. "I need them so I don't end up in a fucking ditch."

She started shaking her head at him and gave a small giggle. "Is that why you were so dead set on getting to that motel before dark?"

"Yeah... I just didn't want to look like an old fart in front of the newbies." He released her and took his glasses back, hiding them away in his jacket.

"Look, those little puppies make you look intensely cute. Don't knock them." She said, and gathered up her bag.

"Oh yeah... every man wants to be called_ cute._.." He complained, taking her bag from her and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Hey, I thought you weren't my valet?"

He looked back at her and smiled. Yeah, he knew he was in trouble now. "I'm not your valet. I'm your friend. I look out for my friends, April."

* * *

"So, everyone, this is April Mendez, and she's joining the team." Phil started to say, introducing her to the others as he planted his hands on her shoulders and stood behind her. "She's got three years working in the field with Dan Orser out of Washington State, and she brings a few unique skills to the table. Along with her experience on the technical side of this business, she's also a gifted clairvoyant. She'll be a great asset on some of your investigations."

April stood there, glad he was standing right behind her to hold her up. She had never been so nervous in her life to meet a few people. You could have heard a pin drop. "Hi, everyone."

"Hey, April, uh, I'm Chris Jericho, I'm the second lead investigator here, and will be more than happy to show you anything the Prince of Darkness over here might have over looked. I'm a lot more fun than he is." She giggled. He held out his hand and she gladly shook it. Just as she was going to pull back, he brought her wrist up to his lips and gave her a gentlemanly peck. "Pleasure to meet you, April my dear."

"I'm Kelly Kelly." She held up both hands before April could say anything. "I know, I know... my parents were as dumb as rocks and probably high when they named me." She smiled and shook April's hand as well. "You seem like a really nice kid. I think you and I are going to have a_ lot_ to talk about." She promised, her big, baby blue eyes falling directly on Phil. She could see him sweat where he stood, his pale gray green eyes issuing a warning or sorts. "Oh _yeah_, I think we're going to get along _really_ well April."

"That leaves me!" John boomed as he walked into the office. He stood head and shoulders over her, cutting quite a formidable figure as he entered the room. "I'm John Cena, the evil producer around here. I'm the guy you never want to see knocking on your door. That usually means I have a problem and that problem will be you. Welcome aboard darlin'. I hope you enjoy this vocation as much as the rest of us do. It's hard work and a lot of time on the road." He walked by her close enough to brush lightly against her shoulder, and he paused. "Excuse me for bumping you, but, damn, do you ever smell great!"

Phil rolled his eyes and let go of an audible, irritated groan. He knew what those guys were doing. They were trying to get him to crack and show his hand where the April was concerned. Well screw them, he wasn't going to bite. And Kelly? He was more afraid of her than the other two buffoons.

"I'm going to get my lap top out of the truck so we can discuss the next case, and guys... I'm only going to be a minute. Try and keep it civil? And April, anything they say will either be wishful thinking or bullshit."

They just chuckled and waved him off.

"Phillip, wait!"

He got just outside the door when April came out into the hallway after him. "What?"

"Thanks for everything, I, I really appreciate what you've done for me." She shyly tucked some of her long dark hair behind her ear. When she looked up to him, he was smiling. "No sweat Ape. "

She walked back into the office and all three of them were staring at her like they were surprised she still had her head. Chris spoke first.

"_What_ the hell did you just call _him_?" He looked like he was going to faint.

"Phillip. Why?" April didn't understand what that had to do with anything.

"Oh my god, he let's you call him by his first name?" He face palmed himself in grand gesture. "_This is rich_!"

"What, what's wrong with that?" She asked, her elegant eyebrows started to knit together with worry.

"Sweetie," Kelly leaned back in her chair, braiding a section of her golden hair without even looking at April. "No one... no one ever calls Punk by his given name. No one... ever. Nope. Never. Not even me, and I was sleeping with him."

* * *

**#RedFoxyProductions**

**I hope you liked the start to this new episode in the Soul Searchers journey. Stay tuned for more soon! As always, thank you for the follows and any reviews you may wish to leave. Special thanks to Sam CF for beta reading on this one, and giving me a couple grand ideas! XD**


	2. She called him Punk

**Here's number Two! Hope you all enjoy this one. Please let me know what you think. Thanks to Sam for a one liner I used!I used your line too, AmansaRockz. ;)  
**

* * *

_I was sleeping with him_.

That was all April heard.

She hoped the rush of heat she felt on her cheeks wasn't too obvious, but from the look on Chris's face, she'd just given her feelings away. To his credit, he didn't make any further comments, and for that she was grateful. _Great_, she thought, I haven't been here five minutes and already I stand out like a sore thumb.

"So, April... how did you like working with Mister Rainbows and Sunshine?" Chris asked, changing the subject, just a little.

"Uh, it was okay. It was unbelievably cold, but you know what winter's like up north." April stood on the spot, leaning from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable. _They didn't know, did they_?

"Yeah, I sure do. Cold nights working alone in the dark... gets unbearable I'm sure... a body would want to seek out heat any place you could find it." He watched as she fidgeted under his interested gaze.

Kelly sat up, deciding to join in. "Come on April, give us your impressions of the _Phillip_ we obviously don't know."

"I...I... can we talk about something else?"

Phil was almost at the door when he heard them. It started already... he knew it was only a matter of time. Rolling his eyes he sighed deeply before entering the room. He needed to gather the strength it was going to take for him _not_ to throw Chris across the room. It was like listening to a pack of dogs fight over the last bone.

"That's enough."

"Hey, Punk!" Chris smirked. "We were just asking her about your trip across the border. She said it was really cold. Care to elaborate on how the investigation went?"

It was one thing to torture him, he could shovel it back... but to go after April? No, that wasn't happening.

"Listen up, you pack of hyenas... give April a break, she's new and our trip is not up for discussion." He gave Chris with a meditative look. "Oh, and no, I would _not _care to elaborate. Go watch the footage we shot if you want to know that badly."

Denial. Their mouths saying one thing yet their eyes are saying another thing. Chris had them pegged.

"Okay children, this is some footage taken from a mansion in the countryside of Vermont. It was once used as a mental hospital in the early twenties and thirties, but now it's a hotel. The owner, uh..." He thumbed through his notes. "One Ms. Vickie Guerrero, wants to know if what's there is a threat, and how to handle it. Her guests are frequently checking out in the middle of the night, and she's at her wits end here."

Phil placed the lap top on the table and all four watched intently as Ms Geurrero explained how it was becoming harder to book the rooms, and that there was no end to the noise and interrupted sleep she and her guests were experiencing. Doors opening and closing, loud bangs, the sounds of running up and down the halls and stairs... once in a while, a woman would be singing in the kitchen.

Chris nodded his head. "This sounds fairly standard Punk. When are we scheduled to arrive?"

"We'll be on the road by late tomorrow. Oh, and there was one thing not mentioned in the video... there have been a few cases where guests have acted out in a strange manner. It's like if you happen to be a little pissy over something, or sad, it may come out a lot more amplified than it normally would. It's almost as if you can't control your own feelings so... that said, we need to be vigilant. If any one of you start feeling strange like that, you need to tell the rest of us. She couldn't corroborate any further except to say it had been reported to her by staff, but she hadn't witnessed it herself."

"All right then, at least I have time to pack this time." Kelly rose from her seat and shot an easy going smile Punk's way. "Are we riding together like last time, Punky?" She asked, sliding up close to him.

He took a step back and closed his eyes, releasing an irritated groan, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "We're all going in the same god damned car, god help me."

"Great, at least I'll have another woman to talk to this trip out. You men are a boring bunch of fuckers." Kelly looped her arm with April's. "We're going to be best buddies!" She said, and adjusted her tube top a little, doing a pitiful job of keeping herself inside it on purpose. "Hey, does baby girl here even have an apartment yet? You can stay with me tonight if you don't!"

"Kelly, that's not a good idea..." This was what he was afraid of most.

"Shut up it's not!" She started dragging April out the door.

"No, she's not going with you Kelly..." Phil was getting pissed.

"Hey, if anyone wants my opinion she can sleep in my room tonight. Just thought I'd throw it out there." Chris stated, like it was nothing at all, suggestively winking at April.

"You can forget that idea right now, Jericho..." Punk snarled at him. His temper was starting to get the better of the usually cool headed ghost hunter.

"_Wait!_" April's small voice squeaked out above the din. Her doe eyes didn't mean to fall to Punk, but they did. "Wait_._... everyone please!"

They all stopped talking amongst themselves and looked to the petite brunette.

"I, I already have a place to stay, thank you both."

Chris glared at Punk now. "_You_... she's staying with YOU? What the fuck... WHO are you man?"

"Just shut up Jericho. Do you all have to behave like horny, stupid teenagers here? We're supposed to be professionals for Christ sake! Yes, she's staying with me until her place is available."

"I'm moving in after this investigation wraps up." April chimed in, her face redder than a tomato now. She was thoroughly embarrassed.

"I'll see you both here tomorrow. Come on Ape, I'm tired of hanging around here."

John had left the room moments after Phil did, walking in as Punk and April were walking out without a word. The amused looks on Kelly and Chris's faces immediately got his attention, as did the uncomfortable silence. "Did I miss something here?"

"Ten bucks says he's banging her." Chris was sure of it. "Or he will be."

"I think Phillip's got himself a little girlfriend!" Kelly announced in a sing song, teasing tone.

* * *

Punk was really pissed now, not because he'd been saddled with her. It was more because of the unwanted attention she was getting over him, and he cared about her far too much to see her suffer at the hands of that immature lot. He could tell the whole scene had upset her. They had behaved like vultures, all because of him.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about that bullshit back at the office. They're normally a lot more professional and not in such a feeding frenzy... it's just that, well... they know me and they think our being friends means something more. We know that it doesn't, and it's none of their business. That little dog and pony show won't happen again April, I promise."

April felt her heart sink the moment the words left him. She had been sure of it... the way he'd kissed her back at the airport. Oh sure, he had intended to give her a peck on the cheek, but when she grabbed him and gave him a real kiss he hadn't pushed her away... he pulled her closer and kissed her back. Several more times, in fact. Was he was saying it meant nothing to him? She didn't know how to feel. All the hope had earlier that day fizzled away to nothing and she become sullen and very, very silent.

"Hey..." He stole a quick glance at her, his brows knitting together curiously. "You're quiet all of a sudden. Are you all right?"

"Oh, yeah." She didn't look over to him, she couldn't, she felt too foolish over what she had thought had been blooming between them. _I'm not your valet. I'm your friend_. She remembered it now. He said he was her friend. Just her friend. He had made that clear. How could she have been _so_ stupid to get her signals_ that_ crossed?

"April?"

"Oh, sorry, yeah, I'm okay, I'm just watching the scenery roll by, that's all. I'm tired Punk, would you take me to a hotel so I can lie down?"

"What? You're coming to my place, remember?" _She called him Punk..._

"That's probably not a good idea, we don't want the rest of the team thinking we have something going on between us when we _clearly_ don't."

_Oh great_...he knew what her problem was, but he had to keep his distance now, for her sake. "You're still coming to my place. It's easier and at least I can keep track of you. This is a large, not so friendly city at times and I won't have you wandering around it by yourself."

"I just want to lie down, that's all. I have no intention of going out anywhere, not that what I do in my private time is any of your business, _Punk_."

"You can lie down, for god sakes!" There was the girl he knew from the back of his truck that day he'd been pulled over. Saucy as fuck... "Just calm down and let me drive."

He watched her anxiously twiddling her wavy brown pony tail in her fingers in what he could only assume was angry frustration. Frustration with him. Neither one of them said another word as they climbed the steps to his loft apartment. He unlocked the door and stepped aside, allowing her to enter first, following close behind her.

"Let me show you to your room." He offered, and had to physically wrestle her bags from her, stalking down the long hall way. She had refused to let him carry them from the truck for her.

"Thank you. I just want to lie down."

"If you get hungry or thirsty, help yourself to what ever I have in the kitchen. Here you go." He stopped in front of the door, pushing it open with his foot. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Thanks, I will." She quietly answered him, and taking her bags from him, she brushed past in a huge hurry, shutting the door in his face.

It took her a moment to realize he'd taken her to _his_ room. She imagined he had a spare room in this huge place. There was a small pile of video games littering the floor on the right side of the bed, and the blankets were rumpled, pillows in a disarray. He'd obviously been laying there playing games before he came to get her at the airport earlier that morning. Just imagining his six foot two frame laid out on that bed gave her heart a jolt. This wasn't happening. She dropped everything and walked back out into the living room. She could _not_ stay in there.

"That's your bedroom!"

He lifted his hooded, moss coloured eyes from the comic he'd started to read, casually crossing his ankles over one another. "Yeah, I know."

"Why am I staying in there? You said you had a spare room!"

"I do, but..." He sighed. "There's no furniture in there yet. But hey, if you want to sleep on the floor..."

"No, I don't." She cut him off, beset with indecision. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"You can't, I'm sitting here reading."

"Can't you read in your room?" She desperately pressed.

"No, you want to take a nap so I'm reading here, April. This couch isn't too comfortable to sleep on."

She huffed, pacing in a circle, grumbling. "I don't want to stay in your room. It's bad enough I'm even in this apartment!"

He knew he'd hurt her feelings, but this was getting ridiculous. "Oh really? Charming, baby. So, my sweater and hoodie weren't good enough for your shivering, rain soaked ass, now you can't sleep in my bed? April, news flash! I _won't_ be in it!"

"Like hell you ever will be while I'm there, either!"

"I don't recall you having a problem with being close to me in an bed while you were groping my ass."

He was beyond smug now.

"You kissed me!"

"You kissed me back, baby."

"You... you... you're impossible!"She yelled at him.

"And you're bat shit crazy!" He countered, holding his hands in the air in mocking her.

Her little fists clenched automatically, hating how badly she had misread him. Truthfully, she was angrier at herself more than Phil. If she had more experience with men, she would have seen through him and avoided all these crazy, messed up mixed feelings she was experiencing now. Desperate to get away from the pitiful look her was giving her, she relented. "Fine! I'll sleep there!"

He watched her stomp back down the hall and slam the door, a sense of regret tugging at his heart. He hated to push her away, but it was for her own good. Chris and Kelly made sure he understood that. It wouldn't be fair to April to be tied to him like that, and he didn't want her to quit because of him, either.

The blankets and sheets smelled like him... it had the same scent as his clothes and skin. Thoughts of his naked body pressed hard to hers started to invade her mind, and she dared not close her eyes for fear of seeing... This was going to be hell. She'd thrown herself on the bed without thinking, face first into the pillows.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid..._


	3. You belong to me

**Thanks for reading! Here's another chapter for you, and I hope you all enjoy this Valentine's Day! Be wary... there may or may NOT be scenes of a sexual nature... muwhahaha!**

**Many thanks to those who double check my work. Today; Kelzo and Chaos Theory. ;)**

**I need to suggest the song, 'You Belong To Me' - Kate Rusby's version. It's the best. **

* * *

She made a believer out of him.

She really _was_ a gifted clairvoyant. She could see right through his flimsy attempt to pretend he wasn't interested in her. That's why she was so pissed off at him, and from what he could glean, flustered beyond measure.

Phil glanced towards the long hallway numerous times as he lay across the sofa that evening. Not once had she come out of the room, or even made a sound. Had she finally fallen asleep? Was she bored to tears like he was? He didn't want to disturb her, so as per her request, he'd left her alone. She'd come out when she was done being angry with him. He checked his watch. By his estimates, she still had another few hours of hatred towards him left.

Hours passed, and soon daylight faded to dark. There were almost fifteen comic books laying across the end table now, and he'd read every single one. His half empty cup of coffee did nothing to help him stay awake, either. He lay passed out, his glasses having fallen down around his neck, one arm laying across his chest, the other tucked up under his head. He nodded off despite all that caffeine in his system.

April was wide awake. She'd tried to take the nap she demanded he let her have earlier, but sleep was fleeting and she just lay there staring up at the ceiling now. It had been silent out in the living area for over an hour now, and she just assumed he'd fallen asleep. No sense in waking him up just because you can't sleep April, she told herself. Not like she should anyway, the brute... the sexy, bedroom eyed, Don Juan.

Looking around his room she could see he was a man who appreciated the simple things in life. He wasn't flashy at all. There was a dresser and a chair, and of course his bed, but that was pretty much it. He did have a small tv set up for his video games, and a book shelf with a collection of comics and other reading materials. Glancing over to his side table by the bed, she smiled. He had a framed photo of what she assumed were his mother and himself together.

He couldn't have been more than nine or ten, with a shock of scruffy, light brown hair and those big, bright green eyes she loved to look into. She had her arms around him, and she was giving him a kiss on the cheek. He sure looked like her, having her eyes and mischievous smile. Picking it up, she sighed. They looked really happy here, she thought, why did she feel such melancholy surrounding such a cheerful photo?

That's when something seemed to draw her attention to a dark corner of the room. She noticed an old, beat up guitar standing alone and tucked away there. _Hmm_... she had to wonder, was that his and could he play it?

She scuttled herself over the side of his rumpled bed, got up and grabbed it into her eager hands. A wonderful feeling of security and warmth immediately overtook her senses as she handled it, leaving her awash with unconditional love and devotion. Something urged her flip it over, and a sudden, great sadness now enveloped her the moment she saw a name scratched into the back of it.

_Colleen, 1972_.

Her back silently slipped along the wall to the floor, thoughtfully fingering the tiny, worn out lettering. She didn't know why, but tears pricked her eyes as she gingerly plucked at its well used, steel strings. It was out of tune. She would fix that. Sitting back on the edge of the bed, she positioned the guitar on her lap. Not seconds later, she had it strumming as it was meant to. As quietly as she could, she played, and softly sang a song that she had never played before...

"_See the pyramids along the Nile... See the sunrise from a tropic isle... Just remember darling, all the while, you belong to me. See the market place in old Algiers... Send me photographs and souvenirs. Just remember when a dream appears, you belong to me._.."

The sweet, soft sounds of a woman's voice echoed through the walls and down the hall. Half asleep, he was sure he was dreaming it. His mother was singing in his dreams, and her voice was so utterly beautiful. He could see her pretty face clearly as she sang a song so sweet. Only a moment or two later he turned onto his side towards the lyrical melody, and right off the sofa, landing with a thud to the hardwood floor.

"_I'll be so alone without you... Maybe you'll be lonesome too. Fly the ocean in a silver plane, see the jungle when it's wet with rain. Just remember till you're home again...You belong to me._"

"What the fuck?"

He wasn't dreaming. He couldn't even remember scrambling up and staggering towards his bedroom. She, she was singing... Quietly popping the door open he peered inside, his heart now in his throat. He listened to her play his mother's guitar with expert hands, every note plucked clear, every word, mournful and deep.

"_I'll be so alone without you... Maybe you'll be lonesome too. See the pyramids along the Nile... See the sunrise from a tropic isle. Just remember darling, all the while, you belong to me_."

He watched her in silence, unwilling to give away that she had an audience just yet. Her voice... it was so much like his mother's it was eerie, and he almost lost his ability to remain standing, using the door frame as a crutch. Her soft, emotional tune lifted into his ears and he closed his eyes, letting the magical sounds drift through his head like a dream he never wanted to wake up from. Dragging his fingers across the corners of his eyes, he heaved a quiet, concentrated breath. The memories that one little song evoked... he was almost done for now. Could he fall for her any more than he already had?

"Do that again." His voice was low and grizzled... and pleading.

April snapped around in surprise, realizing at once she'd woken him. He was staring at her with haunted, pale green eyes. He looked tattered. She didn't know what to say, and timidly placed the guitar down on the bed. Tucking her wavy, brown hair nervously behind her ears, she attempted at smile.

"I'm so sorry I woke you up Phil. Really, I am."

_She called him Phil.._._finally._

"I, I thought I was dreaming that... you sound so much like... hell girl," he swallowed hard, trying to tamp down the emotion that threatened to over take him, "that was absolutely fucking beautiful."

"I'll take that as a compliment, thank you." She looked back at the old instrument, feeling a little bashful now. "I know I should have asked before touching this, I know how much sentimental value it must have. I'm sorry."

She was right, and he was well aware of how she knew it, too. Phil stepped into the room and sat on the bed beside her, picking up his mother's guitar. He flipped it over and around as if he were inspecting it, like he was trying to decide if he should. Yes, he thought, it was the right thing to do.

"You know, I haven't heard this played in a very long time. Years, in fact. You're good." He smiled at her and handed it back. "Here, you can play this any old time April, it's yours. I have a feeling my mom would have wanted someone as talented as you to have it. She probably totally enjoyed hearing you play that too, instead of seeing it collecting dust in here. You know," he looked around the room before turning back to her, "sometimes I feel like she's...ah, right over my shoulder."

"Th-this was, your... your mom's?" Her mouth dropped. Now she knew who was calling her attention to it, and why it had aroused such a deeply personal reaction from him. "Phil, I, I don't know that song... it just came out."

He nodded, his eyes hitting the floor. He had made the connection. April's little gift did this, and he was grateful for the reminder. "Yeah, I know. She used to sing that song to me all the time when I was just a little kid. I believe you now, April... I'll never question your abilities again." His gaze lifted to hers now. "_I want you to have it_."

"_Really_?" Her question was barely audible. He nodded again. She strummed on the strings a few times before leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you, Phillip."

When she said his name that time, his stomach flipped, and he knew he shouldn't, but he just couldn't stop himself. His hand cupped her cheek, his fingers gently moving along her soft skin, committing her to memory. Tilting his head slightly to one side, his mossy, half lidded eyes consumed with desire, he leaned into her, inhaling the soothing scent of vanilla in her thick, dark brown hair. She was so beautiful... and he wanted her so badly.

He tasted her slowly, gently sliding his warm, wet lips across hers in a sweet, thoughtful manner, enjoying the softness and comfort she so willingly offered. She hadn't yet tried to pull away from him, so he slipped his hand behind her neck, his fingers splaying up into her tousled hair, tugging her even closer. He kissed her deliberately, the soft, smacking sounds of their wet lips meeting and pulling apart again and again as they slowly sampled one another. He took the guitar in his free hand, and pulled it from her grasp, placing it on the floor beside them. Turning into her on the bed, he brought up his other hand now, holding her face to his as he nibbled on her bottom lip, eliciting a small, needy moan from her throat.

April's hands were now spread out flat against the hard planes of his chest, and she could feel his heart thudding wildly under her palms as her skinny little fingers started to clutch at the material of his shirt. Her own heart had started to race now, and her lower belly start to burn hotter with each of his tender ministrations, and she could feel her own growing wetness signal what her body craved most. Never had she wanted anyone like she wanted him. She didn't even realize the soft, whining noises were her, or that she was even capable of making them.

She felt the cool metal of his lip ring tracing a cool line along her heated, pink lips, and she opened her mouth even more, feeling his warm tongue glide inside and over her own. He tasted like coffee that had way too much sugar in it, and she looped her arms around his neck, burying her hands into his scruffy dark hair as he fell back to the mattress, taking her with him.

She lay beside him, both of their legs still dangling over the edge of the bed. One of his hands still held her face to his lips, the other now resting on the curve of her pajama clad hip. Her tummy clenched tightly, twisting in heated knots when she felt his fingers tuck up inside her night shirt just a little, inching along the softness of her bare skin little by little. Her stomach was nothing but a cache of butterflies, all fluttering around inside her with no escape. She could hardly get a breath between his sweet, searching kisses, and as if he could sense she needed some air, his lips moved across her face, leaving a wet, warm path along her cheeks to her ear, eliciting a shudder from her as his mouth sucked and nibbled there.

"You are so beautiful April..." He rasped into her ear and began to lean over even more, hooking his leg over both of hers. "I want you..."

He was on top of her now, his warm lips grazing a white hot path down her throat and into the swell of her heaving breasts. She trembled as his hand moved higher inside her pajama shirt, just grazing along the velvety skin of her trembling tummy. One by one, the buttons were undone, and she lay opened up before him, her hooded, trusting eyes studying the serious look on his handsome face.

When he touched her, kneading the perfect, rounded flesh in his palms, she moaned into him. Her whole body shook, sending an excited shudder through him as well, and he moved one of his thick, powerful thighs between her legs, making room for his hips to settle neatly against the vee of hers. Even the rustling of their clothing sent electricity sparking through her body, and before she could mentally slap herself for doing it, started to arch herself into him.

He revelled in the salty sweet taste of her golden skin, and growled against the curve of her shoulder as his fingers plied her taut nipple through her bra. She was so lovely, sweet... innocent. Just the mere thought of being inside her drove him to madness, but he had to control himself. She needed him to take her lead. That was proving harder than he had anticipated, the longer his lips lingered over her tight, sweaty skin.

Forgetting himself for a moment, he ground himself into her, letting her feel every inch of his large, growing arousal along her thigh. She suddenly started to doubt she was even capable of handling him. She was just a little thing... would he hurt her? Would he stop if he did? Would he care?

_Oh god_... she was getting in way over her head. She thought she could handle this. She thought she wouldn't be afraid. She couldn't let this happen.

He could definitely tell something had changed, and her oh-so supple body suddenly lost it's willingness to go any further. She abruptly went stiff in his arms.

"Stop, _please_?"

It was barely a whisper, but he heard her. Lifting his head from the hollow of her neck, his eyes begged the question.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice staggered, catching a little in his throat, and drunk with the promise of sex.

April was afraid to ask him to stop, but she couldn't go ahead, either. She was ashamed to admit the sensations he had created inside her had not only excited her beyond measure, but scared her to death as well. Never had she felt the warm, wet flush of her inner thighs burn like this, or how her womb clenched like a fist when he touched her bare skin. She wasn't ready to do this, _with him... _in _his_ room, on _his_ bed. Messing around a little was one thing, but this... this was getting too real for her too fast, and she just panicked.

"_I can't_."

He understood that desperate little request. The moment she said no, he rolled off her and lay on his back, staring at the ceiling just like she was doing. Releasing a disappointed groan, he rubbed both his hands over his face, trying to shake the feelings away for now. If the ache in his groin would just calm down as fast, he'd be all set.

"You, you're not mad, are you?" She asked him in a quiet, mouse-like voice. Not once did she take her eyes from that ceiling.

"Nope."

"Why did you make that grumbling noise, if you aren't mad?"

He let go of a small laugh... trying hard to tamp down his strong, overly stimulated senses. "Why did you want to stop? You seemed to be having a great time. _I know I was_." He was pretty sure he knew why she wanted to stop. It had been written all over her face when they woke up stark naked in the sleeping bag with each other. He just wanted to hear her say it. Just for fun.

Her eyes were glued to that ceiling now, and she started to fret. "Because. You're mother's watching." She lied.

"Bullshit."

"I was right, you're mad."

"No, I'm not... I'm, uh..." He folded his hands behind his head, looking at the same nothing she was. She wasn't going to admit it to him yet. She was either too proud, or too afraid of his reaction. Either way, he would offer her an escape route and rip the band aid off for her. "I'm amused by you, Ape. And intrigued. Oh, and let's not forget confused. Yeah, I'm all those things, but mad? No, mad definitely isn't one of them."

"Oh..."

"So..."

"So?"

"So... ah, you've never done this before, have you?"

"I have SO!" She shot up and off the bed, hurriedly doing the buttons back up on her night shirt.

"Have not." He remained laying down, an absolutely sinful grin creeping across his smug, whiskered face.

"It, it's none of your damned business is what!" She yelled at him, then turned and huffed out of the room. He heard her stomp down the hall a little ways before the bathroom door slammed shut.

"Have not!" He was satisfied now. This time he'd gotten the last word.


	4. Punky Bear?

_~Hear my silent prayer, heed my quiet call... When the dark and blue surround you~ _

_~Step into my sigh, look inside the light... You will know that I have found you~_

_~~Dream Catcher, Secret Garden~~ _

If there was any doubt in her mind before, he'd certainly put those thoughts to bed. There was no question now how Phil Brooks felt about her. She had seen it in his dusky, pale green eyes, watched it in his flirty demeanor, and heard it in his dark, gentle voice. The biggest allusion was how his body responded when pressed so intimately next to hers. The firmness of his muscular frame, how he trembled when she touched him, how he kissed her like she was something so very precious... and how aroused he had become. She definitely did not mistake the message in that. A little smile flitted across her pretty face, despite how she immaturely reacted. Yes, she thought as she lathered his spiced body wash over her smooth skin, she did _all_ of that to him.

Feeling him thrust his obvious want for her against her thigh like that had been what caused her to freak out underneath him. She was still in disbelief and quite properly mortified with how she'd acted in front of him. She behaved like an inexperienced middle school girl, and he called her on it. Rightfully so. He wasn't a stupid man, and she was sure he'd had enough sexual partners to be able to spot the difference. She wondered if she could ever compete with sex pistol women like Kelly, and how he must now surely think she was just a waste of his time.

Grabbing a towel that barely covered her, she stepped out of the shower, tucking it neatly around herself. She'd made sure to get up at least an hour before he did so she could avoid him until they left.

That plan was doomed to go to hell in a hand basket.

Phil caught sight of her before she noticed him. He placed two fingers in his mouth and let go of the most flirtatious wolf whistle he could muster.

She cringed.

"What are you trying to do, give me cardiac arrest? Blue balling me last night wasn't enough for you?" He asked, flaunting that naughty come-hither smirk. "I don't know if I can survive another teasin' and no pleasin' night with you... The way you look, I'm lucky to still be drawing air."

She glowered at him, her body draped in only that undersized towel as she exited the shower. Hoping to get from the bathroom to his room before he caught her had obviously failed. Not only was he a night owl, he was also an early bird. She was still feeling completely uncomfortable over last night, and her eyes shyly dropped to the floor.

"That would be very unfortunate for you then, wouldn't it?"

"I guess it is." He agreed, averting his own eyes now, immediately sensing his futile attempt to flatter only upset her further. "I'm sorry for the stupid whistling. I wasn't trying to be disrespectful. Really..."

The sight of her was intoxicating. Instant hard on. Her hair swirled in dark, wavy ringlets across her shoulders and half way down her svelte back, the water still beading across all surfaces of her taut, golden skin. He couldn't help the second look he stole, noticing her breasts just about bursting free from the tiny towel she had strangled around her petite body, to those dangerously deadly legs.

"It's okay... I know you didn't... I, I have to get dressed." She could feel his eyes on her until she closed the door behind her.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything." He said, and shoving his hands into his pockets he quickly turned on his woolly socked feet into the main area of the apartment to wait for her.

* * *

"Okay gang, let's get a move on. Ms. Guerrero is awaiting!" Chris piped up, and jumped into the passenger seat. The girls climbed into the back and Punk drove. Six torturous hours, seven pit stops, two meal breaks and one flat tire later, they arrived.

"So, April baby, how was your stay at Chez Punk last night?" He asked, turning to the back seat to see her reaction to his question. "Was Punk the perfect gentleman, or a junk yard dog? Come on girl, spill... inquiring minds wanna know."

This earned him a rather menacing glare from Phil, who had no interest in sparking up conversation regarding his and April's rather _thought-provoking_ evening. "She's not about to entertain your twisted need for erotic amusement." Parking the vehicle, he opened his door. "This conversation is over, Chris. We have a job to do."

"_E-ro-tic_? You _did not_ just say erotic, did you Punk?" Chris's intense blue eyes grew wide as he over-emphasized every single syllable...

April didn't think it was possible to sink any further into the seat than she already had. She could feel Kelly's surprised glare and felt the familiar sting of her cheeks and ears starting to turn a bright scarlet colour. Without a word, she exited the truck and started towards the mansion. Kelly jumped out, going after her.

"Wait up, April, sweetie!"

"What the Jesus fuck is wrong with you Chris? Can't you see you just humiliated that girl?"

"I guess you weren't a perfect gentleman then, huh?" He chuckled, making a move to get out himself. "Why am I _not_ surprised."

Phil grabbed him by the collar and forcibly dragged his gloating face up close. "Listen to me very carefully... she's a member of our team, not a fucking toy. I don't want her to quit because of your childish, stupid-assed stunts. We _need_ her. Do you understand what I'm trying to say here? This isn't a joke." He roughly released his colleague.

"I understand one thing, Punk. You made a habit of treating some of the women working with us like toys in the past." A sly, condescending smirk stretched out across his face as he straightened up his rumpled shirt. "_Something _happened... I don't have to be a seer to know that."

"Just give her a break Chris. Go apologize to her."

"No can do _Punkster_... I have ten bucks riding on what she says about you. Besides, you're the one that gave me the bone to chew... blame yourself for embarrassing her." Chris started to laugh and shrugged Phil off. "You know I love to haze the fresh meat. It's tradition."

* * *

"April, come on... Chris was only trying to make a joke. He didn't mean anything by it, really!" She caught up to the young clairvoyant and wrapped an arm around her. Buddy style. "He likes to initiate the newbies, it's not just you. _Everyone_ gets his special treatment, I swear. He did it to _me_ too."

"I didn't find him entertaining. It, it wasn't funny at all! Nothing happened between us! Nothing!" Truthfully, April was angrier at herself over that.

Kelly suddenly felt a little bad for laughing at April's misery. At first she'd been into Chris's light hearted ribbing, but now it just seemed really mean-spirited and juvenile. "I believe you April... besides, even if it had, it's no one else's business. Take it from me, Chris isn't to be taken seriously. When Punk and I...well, let's just say Chris had a really great time over that. He loves to rib Punk over his way with the ladies. I think Chris is jealous, personally."

April took a few deep breaths trying to calm herself down. Now she had images of Phil and this beautiful, voluptuous goddess to keep her inner thoughts company...great. Her poor heart had been put through enough madness in the past twenty four hours.

"All I want to do was get to work without all this drama. It's going to distract me from doing my my job, and I need to be focused to be effective."

"I know." Kelly glanced up to find Chris approaching and scowled at him. "Listen, he's a big dick, but once you get to know him he isn't really all that bad. He and Punk have this sort of rivalry going on all the time. I think he just picked on you to spite Punk."

April looked up to her, puzzled. "Why would he do that to spite Punk? It's _me_ he was terrorizing."

"Because, sweetie... even a complete and total idiot like Chris can see that Phil has a thing for you. See, the three of us spend a lot of time together on the road and stuff. We're like a family, you know? We know him really well and, well... he's different around you. That's all."

"Hey ladies!"

April and Kelly both remained silent, staring holes through him for the interruption.

"You aren't welcome, asshole." Kelly piped up.

Chris purposefully ignored the tall, leggy blonde and set his attention straight to the petite, fuming little brunette."Listen April, I didn't mean to embarrass you, darling. I just love to tease, is all. I was more or less trying to get under the boss's skin. I'm sorry if I upset you. I hope you can accept my sincerest of apologies."

April glared at him through disbelieving, angry brown eyes. Kelly had been right. "You're not a nice man, and Karma's bitchier than I am."

"I'll take that." He winked at her.

* * *

"Okay Ms. Guerrero, can you take us around to where you seem to be having the most activity?" Phil asked her.

"Sure, and please, call me Vickie." She offered them all a warm smile. "The first place I'm taking you is the main kitchen."

The friendly, middle aged woman motioned for the group to follow, and welcomed them further into the stately old home. April was amazed at the ornate decor and beautiful old world furnishings. It certainly did not look like it could ever have been a mental hospital. It looked like royalty lived here. Still, she felt nothing unusual yet...

"Okay," Vickie swung open the double steel doors into a state of the art kitchen. Everything gleamed with stainless steel, "this is where a woman in white appears. It usually happens when the chef prepares desserts, and sometimes when I'm in here alone getting a midnight snack. We think she just really loves sweets, and she can carry a note. She'll be singing away like you aren't even there. Sometimes she just hums a lot."

"That sounds like it could be a residual haunting, but we'll see once we get down to business." Phil looked around a little, scouting places to put a camera or two. "All right, what's next Vickie?"

She took them into the basement. That was where all the niceties of the upper floors ended. They descended down a flight of old, creaky wooden stairs, where bare light bulbs hung from the rafters with strings tied to them over head, and the stone walls were covered in cob webbing and years of dust and dirt. The musty smell was enough to almost knock April over, and at one point, she pinched her nose closed with her fingers. It looked to her like a creepy, medieval dungeon. She was waiting to find a few torture implements... Vickie turned two of the lights on and started to explain what was happening down there.

I have contractors down here from time to time for maintenance on pipes or wiring, things like that... They'll hear moans, grinding sounds... sometimes talking. This place is just plain icky, and I want to leave now. I get the major creeps down here."

The group followed her back into the main foyer after the rest of the tour, which included a very disturbing doll room, gave Punk the front desk keys and four key cards.

"This place doesn't open up for the season for another three weeks, so there are no employees or guests in the building. You'll have the mansion all to yourselves tonight. I made up four rooms on the third floor as you requested. I'm sure you'll hear the running up and down the halls tonight. Oh, and be mindful... if ANY of you start to feel unusual, like overly emotional, a personality change, or _anything_, leave the house and clear your head. Getting outside usually does the trick for some reason. One of the front desk people, an older woman I had working here for over ten years, walked right up to our young chef and started to, um... let's just say she started to try and kiss him, grope him. A lot... She had only ever spoken to him occasionally. She didn't even remember doing it after the fact."

Chris started laughing. "So something in this place turns you into a horny teenager? All right I'm all set!"

"_Excuse me_, dear, but that was just _one_ of the ways it's gone after people." Vickie was dead serious. "Another employee tried to slit his wrists. That was not a laughing matter."

"No Vickie, it isn't." Phil shot Chris a dirty look. "So something's been zeroing in on certain individuals and driving them right over the edge?"

"I think it's more than that. I had someone in to cleanse the mansion, and he started telling me what he thought was going on here..." She heaved an uneasy sigh, not sure if telling them this would make her appear any crazier than she was sure she already did. "He told me it likes to impose the seven deadly sins on people, and gets a kick out of how you react to it, be it harmless, or down right dangerous. I was told this spirit might have been one of the patients, and he loves to make other people suffer, a lot. He's a very pious one, seeing the sinner in all people. Not one of you will be immune to this."

"Oh terrific! We're all doomed now!" Chris playfully quipped.

"So please, please all of you... if you feel even the_ least _bit strange or not yourselves, leave the house."

"We'll be very watchful Vickie. Don't worry about us." Punk assured her.

"All right then... thank you for doing this." She shook Punk's hand. "I'll see you all in the morning. Be careful and sweet dreams! I can't wait to see the results of your investigation guys."

The team had everything in place within an hour, and daylight was fading fast. It was go time.

Chris was busy putting fresh batteries in his hand held camera and Kelly was putting the finishing touches on the standing camera angles. That's when Punk saw the opportunity to pull April aside.

"Listen, I'm going to pair you with Kelly and myself tonight, all right? I sure as fuck am not letting you in there alone with Jericho. He's an ass clown." He was sure she was still a little upset with Chris's actions from earlier. He couldn't have known her state of uneasiness stemmed more from Kelly's candid comments. "The bastard loves to antagonize folks, it's in his nature. He hasn't changed in the five years or so that I've worked with him." He ran a hand through his hair, drawing in an exasperated breath. "Fuck, he's chased away more new people than the ghosts ever have!"

She lifted her resolute, amber flecked eyes to his and smiled. She wasn't going to let Chris run her out of Dodge. Kelly, either. "He isn't going to chase me away, _Punky Bear._ Not a chance."

He felt like all his stress just evaporated when she declared that to him. She wasn't going to let them get to her tonight, he could tell by the determined look on her beautiful face. He watched her confidently turn on her bright pink sneakers and start to head inside with Kelly.

"That's _my_ girl."

Wait_... Did she just call him Punky Bear_?

* * *

"So April... tell me more about this ability to contact the other realm." Kelly asked, keeping an eye on their newest member through the viewfinder of her infra-red camera.

April glanced back at her team mate, sensing a sincere interest from the other woman. "Well, let me put it this way... I don't necessarily hear a spirit speaking to me as much as I feel their emotion. Emotion tells me a lot about what's going on, and how they feel."

"So, what about right now? Are we alone?"

April stopped half way up the stair casing, becoming still, he hand barely ghosting along the embellished, oak bannister. "At the moment, yes."

"Rats, I was hoping for some fast action. Kelly replied, a little disappointed.

The two women climbed up to the first landing and started down the long, darkened corridor. They both remained silent for the time being, just listening to the various creaks and groans of the old home surrounding them.

Phil noticed it first. April had stopped about ten or so feet from Kelly. He easily recognized that stance she took, and his heart started to beat just a little faster when she grabbed her talisman tightly in her palm. Kelly continued to walk forward, not seeing April come to a complete halt in the darkness.

"Watch it Kelly, for god sakes..." Phil muttered at the screen.

Looking ahead just in time, Kelly managed to avoid colliding with her team mate. "April? You all right?"

She waited for the girl to answer, experiencing for the first time what Phil had already been witness to. April's head was tilted to one side and her eyes were closed. Kelly walked silently around to her front, the camera recording every startling detail... April had a strangle hold on the talisman with both hands now, and it looked as though she had almost stopped breathing.

"This is spooky as hell..." Kelly whispered.

"What the fuck is she doing, Punk?" Chris's brows narrowed curiously together, having never seen anything quite like it.

"She... I think she's channeling something..." He explained, not so sure himself. His fingers scratched nervously at the whiskers on his chin as he remained glued to the lap top. Without warning, April's eyes opened wide.

"He says we're all going to hell."

"Who does April?" Kelly widened the shot away April's face, and she looked right into the camera. "Simon says..." She said, trembling from how cold it had suddenly become in her immediate vicinity.

"What the fuck?" Chris started laughing. "Simon? Did you hear that Punk, this is stupid! She's pulling a fast one on us!"

"No she's not." Phil started to thumb through a dossier of paperwork. It held some of the research Kelly had done on the mental hospital and a few of the more notable patients being treated there. "Murray, Bolden, Carter... come on, where are you..."

"What are you looking for?"

"There!" He tapped his index finger wildly at the paper, lifting it up to Chris's face. "Simon Harrison. I knew I'd read it."

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle..." Chris took the paper from Punk's hand and started reading it. "Everything Vickie was telling us is here too, plus more. Shit, this dude was seriously disturbed, huh? He murdered a prostitute... there's a whole freaking laundry list here!"

Punk picked up the walkie-talkie. "Kelly... ask her if it's Simon Harrison."

"April honey, did he give you his whole name?"

April swallowed hard. "I, I think it sounds like Simon Son... something like that. It's all I'm feeling now. He's getting harder to read. Like, like he's backing away from me. He doesn't want us to find him."

"Let's do an evp session right here April." Kelly gave her the hand held digital recorder.

The girls turned it on, and April started asking questions.

"What is your name?"

Silence seemed to be the reply.

"Are you the reason I just felt a cold chill all around me?"

Nothing more than the wind now rustling outside.

Kelly spoke up. "Simon Harrison, you twisted bastard... you're the one going to rot in hell for all the sick things you did!"

They waited for another few minutes, April sitting cross legged on the floor and Kelly still holding the camera. That was when Kelly screamed, and something physically ripped the camera out of her hands and threw it right over the railing to the floor below.

* * *

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	5. Howl

_~If you could only see the beast you've made of me  
I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free~ _

_Kelly screamed, as something physically, and very roughly, ripped the camera out of her hands so fast it scraped her skin, throwing it right over the railing to the floor below..._

All the guys saw was the camera going over, then static.

Kelly was staring blankly over the ledge when Punk came racing up the stairs. She couldn't move. She didn't even notice him.

"Kelly!" He grabbed hold of her and pulled her away from the railing, turning her around to face him. "Kelly, are you all right?"

She shook her head, her expression one of confusion and fear. He'd taken to carefully examining her hands now, noticing a small scrape and some blood where the camera was unceremoniously ripped from her grip.

April felt a sudden uncomfortable jolt of jealousy the moment Phil touched Kelly, and she couldn't take her eyes off them. He held her hands in his, much like he held hers just last night, before they kissed. She couldn't explain the instant heat burning a hole through her chest, or the fact that she had started to tremble a little. Was she upset Phil was tending to the needs of another woman?

_~Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart  
Drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart~_

"I, I think so, yeah... that was freaky!"

"I think you need a band aid for this, it's nothing major, but I don't want you bleeding all over our equipment." He teased.

Kelly swatted him in the arm. "You're an asshole, Punk. And here I thought you cared."

"Oh, I care... do you have any idea how much that camera cost?"

She scowled at him. Turning on her heel she flipped her long, vanilla blonde hair over her shoulder and walked over to April and Chris.

Chris helped April up from the floor and she brushed her hands down the front of her jeans.

"I guess this means old Simon isn't interested in having company, does it?" Chris asked her. "I have to admit, when you said, _Simon says_, I thought you were bull shitting us."

April just rolled her eyes. "I never joke around when it comes to my job, Chris.

"Okay, let's just regroup. Obviously, there's something here that wants us to leave it alone, but as usual, we aren't gonna do that." Phil started to say, and he looked around them, trying to think of a new game plan. "I don't know if it's a good idea to send you two in here by yourselves again. I think we need to resort to boy-girl teams now."

"Shut the fuck up!" Kelly took offense right away. "It's because we're women and you don't think we can take care of ourselves, is that it?"

April didn't like that comment either. "Phil, we can handle it. Simon's just trying to scare us. That's not going to work."

"I dunno about that, ladies. If what ever that was can hurl a large camera like it was a feather, we should probably take Punk up on his suggestion." Chris held a finger up to Kelly, signalling he wasn't quite finished yet. "_Not _that I don't appreciate a little girl on girl action, but I prefer boy on girl... it's more my style." He finished that comment with a long, leering look at April.

"You're just a sick creep, Chris. You know that don't you?" Kelly bit back at him, unimpressed.

Punk dragged his hand across his face. Great, more bickering... He didn't want his investigation to deteriorate into some mindless school yard fight. "Listen up. This is how we're going to proceed, like it or not." He gave Kelly a warning glare. "Chris, go get the first aid kit and the thermal camera, I've got an idea."

_~My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in  
You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to howl~ _

"Okay, Mister Simon, we're here and there's not a hell of a lot you can do about that." Chris began with his usual diatribe of aggravations. "So we see you don't like our cameras, but we have shit load more so you might as well give that little game up."

Kelly kept the camera focused on him as they walked further down the hall.

"Hello! Is there anybody here with us?" He swept the thermal in all directions, but nothing came up. "I hear you like to play with dolls, man. Kelly, let's go check out _that_ room."

"Do we have to go in there?" She asked, shaking away a chill at the mere thought of a room full of creepy, all eyes on them dolls. "I'd rather go to the basement with the spiders."

"You would..." He walked a little further ahead of her, then suddenly just had to ask. "So, what do you make of Punk and April? Do you think there's something going on between them?"

"I'm not sure, but she was pretty upset when you started razzing her about it. That was a dirty cheap shot, too. Totally uncalled for."

"Where's your thirst for the chase, Kelly? I mean, what's their deal? Did you see the pissed look on his face when I started asking about last night? I thought he was gonna burst a vein. It was fuckin' priceless!"

"I was more concerned with how you made April feel. She's new and young, and you shouldn't have said those things. You were being a real jack ass, just so you know..."

Oh come on Kelly..." He could see the wheels start to turn in her pretty little head. "Doesn't it just bug you a little bit that Punk's found himself a brand new girl, and that you haven't been the apple of his eye for quite some time now?"

She remained cool, but something started to pick at her mind, and it wasn't Chris. "You don't know what you're talking about anymore, dude. We're cool as friends."

"Hold it..." Chris stopped, holding up a hand motioning for Kelly to do the same.

The faint sound of foot steps behind them had Kelly whirling the camera back, but nothing could be seen. Fluid shadows moved in aimless ripples across the walls and ornate furniture, wavering along the heavy, velvet curtains lending an even more ominous mood to the way her eyes seemed to be playing tricks on her.

"There, there it is again. Foot steps." Chris back tracked, casually sweeping the thermal across their field of view. They stood there in silence for what felt like at least a minute, when he caught finally something. The door at the end of the hall way slowly groaned open. Something glowed hot just inside, then disappeared.

"What the hell... something or someone wants to come out and play..." Chris said, his eyes dancing with delight as they narrowed. He started heading in the direction of the open door, with Kelly at his back.

_~My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in  
You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to  
Howl~_

April sat with Phil in the truck, watching some of the standing cameras while Chris and Kelly continued on the second floor.

"I don't understand why you let Chris go in with Kelly. She and I would have been just fine." She openly complained.

"Because I'm the boss."

"You're not a very good boss, then."

"Would you have preferred to go in with Chris instead?" He asked, raising an skeptical eyebrow at her he glanced over to gauge her reaction.

She folded her arms across her chest, her dark, almond shaped eyes boring holes through him now. He was well aware she wasn't one of Chris's biggest fans right out of the gate. Hell, he wasn't, either.

"That's what I thought... come on, you and I are heading into the basement."

He got up to leave, tucking a small flashlight into his pocket, and jumped from the back of the vehicle.

"Wait..."

Phil turned, and she hopped out right behind him, touching his arm. He glanced to her hand, then up to her anguished, pretty face. It was painfully obvious she was hesitating over something. At first she wouldn't look at him directly, her soft, amber flecked eyes darting from his arm, to the ground, then to the house.

"April, what's the matter?" He sighed out loud, not really interested in playing her games right now.

She lifted her reluctant eyes to his and opened her mouth, but no words came.

His brows knit together as his eyes narrowed, and he curiously rubbed at the small amount of stubble along his chin. This was getting weird. "April, really, what the hell's going on?"

"You, you were right." There, she spit it out. She didn't know what compelled her to start this conversation now, but she was committed, and now that she had his undivided attention...

"Excuse me?"

_~Now there's no holding back, I'm making to attack  
My blood is singing with your voice, I want to pour it out~ _

She didn't know what was driving her to talk about it. She looked up at him, noticing the confusion swirling inside his grey-green eyes, and how he licked at his lip ring when he was over thinking something. Her heart began to thud against her ribs, and she felt the hot, familiar stirrings of desire rushing through her veins. She had such an insatiable need for him... hints of the beautiful art work adorning his skin were evident on his hands, and she reached over to touch him, brushing his soft hair away from his eyes. Those were his secret weapons against helpless females, she was sure of that. Fathomless and certainly treacherous like the deep, stormy sea, they beckoned to her like no other. Her fingers lingered across his scratchy face, and she could feel the heat threaten to over take her completely when he placed his hand over hers, holding her there.

Her breath hitched, and she stepped into him. "You were right about me, you know... when I kissed you last night, I wanted you so much but..." Nervously chewing on her bottom lip, she caught his eyes. "I, I've never..."

"April... stop." He didn't need an explanation.

"I want you, and next time, I promise I won't run away like a child."

He swallowed hard and turned his head a little, gently kissing the back of her hand. What brought this on, he had no idea. "You don't have to worry about that, okay? April, look at me sweetie... please?"

He watched as her eyes glazed over, and she started to shake.

"Hey, come on now..."

She took hold of his arms to steady herself, and started to breathe heavily. "Ph-Phil?"

He wrapped his arms around her, keeping her upright as she unknowingly started to slip, and fall forward into him. Easing her to the grass, he got down on his knees and felt her fore head. She was ice cold.

"You're freezing." He said, and started to remove his jacket, placing it snugly over her shoulders.

"I, I don't feel cold. Please, you don't have to."

"I want to. Now, what the hell was that?"

She looked at him without a clue. "What?"

_~The saints can't help me now, the ropes have been unbound  
I hunt for you with bloodied feet across the hallow'ed ground~ _

Chris tapped the heavy door open wider with his foot, and both of them slowly made their way inside. There was a large, four post bed in the heart of the room, a chest of drawers and two chairs. The curtains were drawn wide open, allowing the light from the moon the glimmer across the hardwood floor. The faint scent of tulips drifted throughout the room and drew Kelly in.

"Come out, come out where ever you are..." Chris panned around the room, but didn't see any significant heat signatures.

"The window isn't open, so it couldn't have been a draft." Kelly made her way towards the en-suite, poking her head just inside. She had never seen a bathroom so luxurious. There was a two person, heart shaped Jacuzzi tub by the window, which was also, closed. "Nothing here, either."

"Wow!"

She whipped her head around to find Chris had thrown himself onto the king size bed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm enjoying myself, what does it look like?" He laid himself back and folded his hands behind his head. "This is more like it."

She stood at the foot of the bed, her hands now planted firmly at her hips. "We're working, Wonder Boy... you can't just check out when ever you want. What would Punk say?"

His cobalt blue eyes snapped up to her. "You care what Punk would say? I can't believe that."

"Of course I care! We aren't here for a picnic, you know."

Deciding it was time to pick up where he left off, Chris patted his hand on the bed beside him. "Come on, why don't you give it a try... and NO, I'm not hitting on you, just so we're clear."

She leaned to the side a little, letting her arm holding the camera fall to her side. The disapproving scowl on her face told him all he needed to know.

"We don't have time for this."

"Okay, so you want to stand there, that's fine. Tell me again, I don't think you answered me the first time. Does it bother you that Punk's got himself another squeeze? I mean, she's majorly cute, a lot younger than you... and she's definitely got a great ass."

"Chris, you're being a dog." She walked around to the side of the bed, starting to feel a little under appreciated all of a sudden. "Even if they are seeing each other, it's none of our business."

"So, let me get this straight... you aren't the slightest bit put off that he replaced you with a mousy little chick like April? She'll need a babysitter for months!" Pausing for a moment, he couldn't believe that had actually come out of his mouth.

"NO, I'm not!" She snapped back at him. Of course she was upset he seemed to have a thing for the new girl. They had dated for almost a year, but that had been over two years ago now... why, why the hell was she feeling so, so... _resentful_ of _April_?

_~Like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins  
I want to find you, tear out all of your tenderness  
And howl~ _

"I think you should probably stay in the truck."

"Why?" She almost panicked. What had she done for him to think she wasn't fit to join him on the investigation?

"You just went off on a tangent, and started saying a bunch of stuff that I'm thinking you had no intention of sharing with me just yet."

"I what?" She swallowed a lump the size of a golf ball down her throat, hoping it wasn't what she was thinking.

"Do you remember what Vickie told us? This Simon dude, he can make us do or say some crazy shit. You, you were going on about last night and..." He closed his eyes, trying to find a way to explain it without making her feel stupid. "You were trying to explain to me what happened between us, and I really didn't feel you owed me any sort of apology or explanation. You don't."

"I can't remember saying that."

"This is why you might want to stay here. I think you've been manipulated by Simon."

She was angry now. "How dare he! I didn't even feel his presence... that, that's not normal." She jumped up from the ground and started towards the house. "I'm coming with you, I don't care what you say! He isn't going to make a mockery out of me!"

Stumbling after her, Punk decided it would be best to just let her come along. He was sure she wouldn't have taken no for an answer this time.

They made their way down the darkened, dirty stairwell again, this time with flashlights, one camera, and a digital recorder. The old, worn stairs heaved indescribable moans with each step further down, and the air was heavy and damp. April followed close behind him and when they finally got to the bottom, she felt a strange pressurized buzzing in her head. At first she was sure the musty smell was really getting to her, but...

"God, it is ever hard to breathe down here..." He started to say, loosening the top few buttons of his shirt. "the air is completely laden with moisture all of a sudden."

"Me too. I'm really uncomfortable Phil."

He glanced over to her. "Are you feeling anything at all?"

"Not so much feeling anything spiritual, but I do feel an increasing need to get out. I don't know what it is."

"Okay, we won't be down here long. Is the camera on?" Phil asked, and removed the digital recorder from his pocket. I want to try and get some evp's if we can."

She shook herself, trying to get rid of the numbing feelings, then nodded. "Yes, I have it on. Go ahead."

"That's my girl." He smiled at her and placed the recorder on a dusty shelf. "Hello!"

They waited a moment, but nothing happened.

"_Phil_..."

It was her tense tone of voice that gave him pause. He turned to her, seeing how she was riveted to the viewfinder of her hand held camera, and it was pointed directly at him. "April, what do you see?" He guardedly asked her, his anxious eyes roving from side to side. It was pointless as there wasn't any normal light for him to see anything properly. The hairs on his body were all standing up, and he had goosebumps the size of ball bearings, yet there was no cool, airy breeze.

"He... he's blocking me..."

"April, _what _do you see?" He asked her again, this time his voice had ticked up a few octaves.

"There's a person, a shadow-like figure... it's standing... right... behind you..."

Now, he'd been in far more alarming situations in the past. He couldn't say if it was the vacant look on April's face, or the fear in her voice that did it, but when he felt a large, extremely cold, heavy hand run down the back of his head he damned well dropped to the floor.

"_Jesus_!" Lurching forward, he knocked over a bucket of plumbing tools and hardware, creating a a high pitched clattering sound that had April jumping back what felt like ten feet.

Phil ended up on all fours facing her, and she had been backed up onto her butt now sitting the steps. Looking up at her, he smirked through each laboured, huffed out breath. "Did, did you... get that?"

Through all of it, she had managed to keep the camera on him. "I, I got whatever that was... on camera. Oh my god I got it!"

"Fucking awesome!" He pushed himself up off the dirty floor and sat down beside her on the stairs, taking the camera and rewinding it. "Let's just see what we got."

Sure enough, there was indeed a tall shadow figure standing directly behind him. It was a little hard to make out, but it was there. As soon as he moved, it disappeared from view, fading back into the darkness from where it had originally come.

"That's absolutely awesome footage! Do you know how rare it is to actually capture an apparition on camera? This evidence is top notch April! John is gonna love this!"

April didn't know what was going on. From the moment he sat beside her and felt his leg brush against hers, all she wanted to do was kiss him, and more. It felt like she was trapped on the inside, and all she could do was watch as she suddenly straddled his lap, circled her arms around his neck and covered his mouth with hers. She knocked him back a little, forcing him onto his elbows on the stair casing, her tongue now swirling around and over his. Her hands spiked into his hair, and she grabbed fistfuls of it into her fingers, holding him in place. God, he smelled so good...

Phil blinked back the shock, but for a moment did nothing else as she literally assaulted him in such a sweet, welcome fashion. Before he knew it, he was kissing her back, he couldn't help himself. His hands remained at his sides as she easily climbed right on top of him, her soft lips not once disconnecting from his willing body. When he started to feel her pull his shirt out of his pants, he stilled. They were in a creepy old basement, and he'd just been touched by something... now, he was being touched in an entirely different manner, and it wasn't the place, nor the time.

"April?" His voice was ragged, and he grabbed at her wrist, making her look at him. "Stop..."

"I...don't wanna... stop..."

_~Be careful of the curse that falls on young lovers_  
_Starts so soft and sweet and turns them to hunters_~

_Howl~Florence and the Machine_

* * *

**Thank you for reading! As always, I appreciate your comments. :)**

**#RedFoxeProductions**

**I know, a bit of a filler chapter, but it will get more interesting soon. :)**


	6. That doesn't look work related

**Okay, here is Chapter Six. I'm trying to work up to something really good, so please be patient. I know fillers are hard to stomach at times. I've had a little trouble concentrating, but in the end I overcame it and this is the end result. I hope you all are having a wonderful week, and again, I appreciate your thoughts and comments.**

**Foxe**

* * *

"I, I mean... it... Ape..."

She kept up her hungry assault on his lips, and he was having a hell of a time pushing her back. In fact, he wasn't trying very hard anymore. His hands released hers, and she fanned them across his heaving chest, feeling his heart start to race under the material of his shirt. Having gotten his belt loosened, and her tongue swirled over and around his in a warm, wet haze...

He gasped against her mouth, ardently kissing her back. She tasted like sugar babies... Her hands deftly swept up over his wide shoulders and along the thick column of his neck, coming together there. She sucked on his lip ring, grinding her lithe, little body into his lap. His eyes closed, and he melted.

"_April_!" His voice laced with surprise, those same eyes popped open when she slid one hand into his pants. "S-stop... stop it..."

She had him. He knew she did, he was her slave now... His stomach twisted when her small fingers grasped at his hardening flesh through the thin material of his boxers, while the other five fingers were threaded up into his hair, holding him captive against her suspiciously aggressive lips. He didn't want to touch her, but she made it so damn hard not to. Before he knew it, his hands were anchored to her hips, tugging her into him even closer. She trailed wet, open mouthed kisses across his face, moving deftly over his jaw, down his neck, stopping a moment to suck at the hot skin there... she could feel his heart thudding mercilessly now.

"No, April, that's enough..." His breathy voice caught in his throat. "You, you're not yourself. Stop it, really!"

"No... I want to, I need you..." she drawled along his shoulder, her hair falling loosely across his chest. "I am so hot for you... _Punk_. We're all alone..."

That was the trouble. They' weren't all alone... someone else was there, too. This definitely wasn't her, he knew it for sure now. He regretfully pulled her hand from his aching groin and tried to sit up some more, pushing her further down his lap. "I need to get you out of here."

"You're being a prude." She seductively whined against his ear, sending a noticeable shiver throughout his body. A provocative grin started to lift the corners of her plump, wet lips, and she dragged her tongue along the bottom one, all the while keeping her eyes glued to his reaction. Without a hint of warning, she started to peel her top up over her head. Even in the dark, he could make out everything.

"No, April... come off it now!" Phil grabbed at her clothing before she could toss it away. "Fuck, I mean it!" His voice was laden with tension as he tried to seize the article of clothing from her fast moving fist while she happily kept if from his reach for as long as she could.

Finally getting hold of it, he struggled to turn the shirt right side out again, all the while she sat and wiggled her firm, well rounded bottom into his crotch, giggling like a crazy woman. Having to do this while she sat there in just a little black bra wasn't helping his already thin concentration, either.

"You wanted me last night..." She whispered sing-song style into his ear, reminding him. Her sweet, sexy voice was like crushed velvet, and he trembled at the feel of her hot breath coursing along his skin. "I _know_ you did. I could _feel_ it." Once again she tried to grasp at him, but he caught her this time, holding her tiny wrist in his trembling hand.

"T-that's quite e-enough." Struggling to remain as focused as possible, he swallowed hard, sorely pushing thoughts of last night to the back of his sex addled mind. "Get this fucking thing back on, we're getting out of here!"

He tried to pull it over her head, but she kept bobbing and weaving around on his lap, stealing small kisses here and there as he struggled to get her to put her shirt back on. In vain, apparently. Phil was not a patient man tonight. She kept on giggling and being foolish, grabbing at him, running her hands over his hard muscled shoulders and across his chest. At one point she hooked her hands around his neck and roped him into another hot, sinful kiss. He was getting absolutely nowhere with this girl. It was like she was drunk, plastered, and horny as hell. She was like a fucking octopus. He bunched her top up and stuffed part of it into the front of his pants. Circling his arms around her waist, he easily tossed her over his shoulder in one fluid motion, turned on his heel, and carried her up the steps and right out the front door.

April squealed in delight as he marched outside and headed for the truck. She bounced to and fro, her hair falling about her face in waves, filling her lungs with the sharp, evening air. Good golly, his ass was so inviting... even upside down.

"Hey!" He yelped, jumping forward as she slapped him, almost tripping up with her still in his arms. She then took the liberty of grabbing a cheek in each hand, squeezing as much as she could. "April, I, I swear..."

"You swear what, _Punky Bear_?"

He unceremoniously dropped her down onto the tail gate of their vehicle, and took a long, hard look at her. She had the most beguiling punch-drunk look on her oh-so-innocent, pixie-like face. She wasn't taking_ any_ of this seriously... He glowered at her. Watching him intently grouse about, pacing in small circles, she started to playfully bite at the tip of the nail of her index finger.

"_Punky Bear_..." The glaring bulge at the front of his pants didn't escape her lustful state of mind. "Is that my shirt in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

"Dammit April, you're not yourself!" He pulled her top from his jeans and handed it to her. "Put it back on. Now!"

She made a cute little grumpy face, but tugged it back over her head as she was told. "You're no fun."

He knew he needed a little bit of distance, and stomped around to the side of the truck. Falling against it, he waited for her to come back down to earth. He closed his eyes and rested his head back, taking slow, measured breaths. If they weren't here on business and she wasn't under the influence of something other than her real feelings for him... _good grief_.

April's mind started to feel clouded, with a mild headache coming on. Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes tightly, feeling her entire body start to vibrate. Oh god... she was going to be sick.

His eyes instantly popped open at the sound of her sudden retching. Rushing around to the back, he found her bent over at the waist, holding herself, and sputtering, trying to wipe her mouth.

"April!" He got down with her, his arm instantly around her shoulders for support. "Are you all right?"

The worry in his voice was apparent, and if her stomach wasn't turning so violently, she would have been horrified beyond her wildest dreams at what she'd just pulled in the basement. She jerked her head back and forth in a hastened nod, trying not to look so weak in front of him.

"I, I'm so sorry... I never meant to... that is not like me at all!"

He stopped her. "I know. You weren't yourself. I think old Simon likes to take an underlying feeling and amplify it to the point of disaster."

"Yeah, we're being toyed with." She agreed. Her red, moist eyes squinted, scanning the darkened hotel. "He's not done yet. If I'm not mistaken, that _had_ to be lust."

Phil started to grin, and handed her some paper towels out of the back of the truck. "Oh, so you lust after me now? Nice to know, definitely." He teased.

She shot him a dirty look, feeling the cool chill of the night air bite at her arms as she rubbed them up and down. "Believe me, I didn't want to... Simon made me."

"Sure you didn't. I know what_ I _felt last night. I felt the body of a woman that wanted me as much as I wanted her."

April's eyes hit the ground. She did want him, but she felt she'd blown it on so many levels. And now... now she'd just thrown herself at him like a cat in heat. Oh sure, he was aware she'd been manipulated by the thing inside the house, but she still felt the familiar sting of shame. The same sting she always felt every time she tried to get close to anyone. That old familiar fear of being made a mockery of over things she didn't fully understand...

"Hey," he reached over, touching her arm, "I get it, okay? I know what it's like. April, look at me, please? I'm trying to get you to lighten up here. No harm was done, and I, well, I didn't say I didn't like it." He lifted his hand up to her cheek and raised her head so he could look at her directly. Sweeping a few pasted strands of her hair from the corners of her mouth, he smiled at her. God, she truly was breathtaking, despite just watching her puke her cute little guts out all over the driveway. "Sweetheart, we were all in your shoes once. Even that douche bag Chris."

His eyes were soft with understanding, and she knew he was being sincere. "Thank you."

* * *

"Oh come on Kelly... it really hasn't crossed your mind at all? I can't help but wonder what Punk did with her last night... I wonder if she was able to do things for him that you simply couldn't? Maybe that's why he dumped you."

"That's enough Chris, you're starting to sound like a complete dick right now." She wasn't going to fall for this bullshit. She kept telling herself that over and over, but something was impeding her common sense, and she was starting to get too annoyed to even realize it.

"I'm just stating a fact. Did you lose your touch or something? I mean, come on... a short, nerdy kid with spazz glasses who can speak to the dead, that he should have nothing but contempt for, and she's probably sharing his bed! I'll bet she's a pistol too... that must be what Punk sees in her. They only spent a little less than a week together! Let's not forget one other thing, too... she's a medium... by all rights, Punk should detest her for that all by itself. What the fuck is the deal with that? Aren't you the least bit curious at all? Come on Kell, you gotta be..."

She shrugged away from the bed and passed a small digital thermometer around the room. She didn't want to have this conversation. She and Punk had been finished with one another for quite a while, and even when he did date the other women, it never fazed her. She wasn't interested in Punk at all like that, not at all. It wasn't making any sense, and only added to the clouded and haze that her mind was starting to become. Why, _why_ was Chris so easily able to get to her tonight?

The temperature of the room was fairly consistent, until she passed it over the bed where he had lazily stretched out. "Oh wow... do you feel a cold spot where you're laying?" She asked, her elegant brows knit together with concern.

Chris paused, moving his hand about his body slowly. "Yeah... there is a noticeable change in the temperature, right... here."

"Maybe we should pass the thermal around the room again?" She asked.

"Do you hear that?" Chris stilled himself. "Someone's talking."

She turned on her camera again, sweeping the area. "Can you make it out?" She whispered.

Standing up, he tried to walk in the direction it was coming from, but every few steps he took, he had to alter his course. "It's like there's a group of them, whispering all around us." He quietly said. "Freaky..."

"Yeah..." Kelly walked out ahead of him, trying to get a feel for what was happening. "Weird... it's like we aren't here, but there's a conversation going on all around us."

A loud crashing sound from out in the upper hall made them both jump where they stood. Immediately, Chris rushed for the door, with Kelly right behind him as they followed the noise out to the stair casing.

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know yet." He swept the area with his camera, but nothing came up. "Let's head down to the main floor, maybe we'll figure out what that was down there."

The two of them carefully padded down the staircase in the dark, listening intently for anything more. Chris's eyes were glued to the thermal, but he wasn't picking up anything at all. Kelly trained her camera on Chris as they stepped down into the main entryway. It was as if everything went absolutely dead, and neither one of them could tell what might have been able to create such a loud, shattering sound.

"Oh, great..." He stopped in his tracks and started to tap the screen of this camera. "The damn batteries are dead. It's like they completely drained in less than thirty seconds."

"Well I don't know about you, but I think Miss Vickie was more right on the money than out to lunch where this place is concerned. Maybe there really _is _something about that Simon dude that's making folks weird out like she was saying? I mean, hell... he, and I DO believe it was him that did it, tore my equipment right out of my hands and totally destroyed it."

"I'm offering no argument Kelly." He turned to head outside for another battery, having no idea what he'd just done, or even remembering the offensive things he'd just said to her. "He's probably the one that just sucked all the juice form this thing, too. Come on, let's get some fresh gear and clear our heads."

Kelly was well primed for what she would see next. Chris had fed her enough taunts to muddle her brain, and something else had made it extremely easy for his provocations to impair her already smothered normal thought patterns. Her confident demeanor was starting to erode at a rate no one could predict.

Chris exited first, easily able to see the truck from the front steps. Kelly followed in silence...

"That doesn't look work related." Chris piped up, a smarmy grin curling up at the corners of his mouth. "Ten bucks Kelly, right now. I win!"

Kelly almost walked into him, coming to a stiffening halt when she saw them.

The new girl's hands were clutching Punk at the shoulders, and he leaned into her, his hair falling over his eyes just enough to obscure them from view. He kissed her softly once, then again. His hand now at the side of her head, pulling her closer, playfully rubbing his nose against her own before tenderly closing the gap once more.

Chris was only too happy to interrupt this little side show. "A-hem!"

* * *

**So, is Chris a douche bag like Punk thinks he is? Is he just being himself, or has Simon started in on him as well?**

**Is Kelly going to be able to curb her underlying feelings of resentment and jealousy?**

**Punk seems to have escaped Simon so far... how lucky can he really be? LOL.**

**Thank you for reading and following.**

**#RedFoxeProductions**


	7. I'm gonna smoke you out

**A reviewer thought Chris was exhibiting Wrath, but he isn't. He hasn't been angry at all, only cocky and belligerent. **

**Just so we are clear, here are the sins as they have appeared;  
**

**Kelly - envy**

**April - Lust**

**Chris - Pride (thinking he is better than all, and a master manipulator of others. This is what he's trying to do to Kelly)**

* * *

_Holy water cannot help you now  
Thousand armies couldn't keep me out  
I don't want your money  
I don't want your crown  
See I've come to burn your kingdom down _

Phil glanced up to see Chris and Kelly coming toward them at a rather quick pace, and he hesitantly broke away from the warmth of April's lips.

"Ten bucks Kelly, right now." Chris held out his hand, and after digging through her pockets, she slapped a ten spot into his palm.

"Happy now, ass clown?" She scowled at him.

"I win. I told ya he's tapping that!"

"You two made a fucking bet?" Phil couldn't believe the absurdity of it, and tried to shake the very thought from his head.

April stood slightly behind him in a panic, realizing at that moment she had her shirt on inside out. _Oh good god_... now was not the time for this.

"What are you two doing out here already? Oh wait, that's right... sucking some serious face. Please, feel free to carry on." Chris started to laugh. "You know Punk, you're so damned predictable."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" His darkening, fractious eyes narrowed, and a deep rooted mistrust of the other man quickly threaded through his unnerved body.

Chris stepped up, his startlingly lecherous gaze wandering up and down April's body, and she took a few steps of her own backward. Kelly stood back as well, watching both men now circling each other like wild dogs. This was definitely not normal, and they weren't even _in_ the mansion now.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist one little taste, Punk. Was she that good?" Chris was doing his best to twist Punk's insides all to hell. The urge to incite a riot wouldn't be silent within him. It was like an itch he just _couldn't_ resist scratching. "I didn't realize she was such a cock tease, Punk."

"Hey!" April spoke up, getting the attention of both of them. "Don't you _dare_ talk about me like that!" She was rightfully furious at that remark, and she got right into Chris's egotistical face. She wanted to smack that mean-spirited grin right off him. Her chest was heaving, unable to draw enough air into her lungs she was so upset. Her heart raced with rage over the implication of entanglement with Punk. _Her boss_. Whom she only _wished_ she was sleeping with. Her horrified expression now landed on her insinuated paramour. "Phil, please, tell them I'm not like that!"

"Says the lady with her shirt on inside out, _and_ backwards." Chris's smug response only made things worse.

Phil glanced back at April, seeing that he'd failed to turn the shirt right side out. "That's the reason we're back out here, Chris. April was, uh, Simon clouded her judgement..." How the hell was he going to explain her state of dress without sounding like they had just been caught fooling around? Chris wasn't going to believe him, and he wasn't sure that even mattered. _Just turn around and walk away Phil_, he told himself as he clenched his tattooed fists.

"So, Punk, you never _did_ answer my question. How does this delicate little flower taste? Is she as sweet as she looks, or pure poison like her temper?"

That did it.

Kelly gasped out loud and April covered her mouth in shock. No warning was given. Phil's arm snapped back like a piston, recoiling in a split second like a boomerang, catching a smug, unprepared Chris right in the jaw.

"Oh my god, Phil!" April grabbed hold of him before he could do any more damage, struggling to pull him back.

Chris was rocking back and forth on his on his rear end, clutching his hands to his face. "What the fuck, man! Ow!"

"You need to be a little more respectful than that, Jericho." He growled, shaking the small cramp out of his right hand. "You deserved that, and a hell of a lot more." His aggravated eyes then settled on Kelly. "And you... if I catch you doing something that juvenile again, you're gone! It's as simple as that. I don't need John's okay to oust your ass."

Kelly nodded, completely stunned. She had never seen Punk hit anyone. Sure, she'd seen him infuriated beyond belief, but to resort to a physical altercation... that had _never_ happened between the two of them no matter what foolishness Chris may have regurgitated in the past. Punk had always kept a cool head where Chris was concerned.

April took Phil by the arm and dragged him back a few steps so they could talk a little more privately. This was starting to get way out of control.

"I wish you hadn't hit him. You're going to get into trouble for that!" She said in a small, hushed voice, noticing both Chris and Kelly now sitting over by the mansion's front step. "I think hitting him might have been a huge mistake..."

"Why?" Phil sounded a little annoyed now. "He was totally asking for it."

"Because... it's only going to fan the flames even more and, well..." Her dark, regretful eyes lifted to his. "I don't want anyone to think I got this job because I'm, because I'm..."

"Spit it out for fuck sake, Ape." That's when he realized why she was so dead against anyone thinking they were together. He just hoped he hadn't blown everything all to hell punching Chris's lights out. He'd wanted to give him the beating of his life...

"I don't want them thinking I'm only here because I'm sleeping with you, when we both know damned well I'm not! I want people to know I got this position because I'm good at what I do, _and_ because I deserved it. Not because _you_ handed it to me...not because I'm your freaking fuck buddy!" Her voice trailed off, watching as he shrugged, dragging his hand across his face in remorse and offering her an apologetic smile. She could see he finally realized how it appeared now. "Don't you understand why this is so important? I want people to take me seriously. That's why I was so afraid they would think we were, you know..."

His angered expression had fallen away, replaced with one of deep regret. Great.. he'd hurt her again, only this time it was more than just on a personal level.

His eyes narrowed as he took another look over toward Chris, snorting his obvious displeasure. He would fix this, and he knew exactly how to do it. "Listen, April, there's good natured ribbing and playing a few jokes like earlier today, but what he said just now... that was completely uncalled for. I'm not about to let him talk to you or any other woman like that. It's disgusting and unprofessional. It also doesn't matter what they think, April. What matters is that you know you're here because you're good at what you do. No other reason, okay?" He reached for her, his fingers lightly grazing the softness of her cheek. "Besides, no one, and I mean NO ONE, speaks to my girl like that."

It took a moment for his admission to sink in.

"You... I, I'm your girl?" Her startled eyes widened in disbelief.

"Yeah..." He apprehensively scratched at the back of his head, feeling unusually shy and unsure of himself. He didn't know if she would be agreeable to him just assuming _she_ was _his_. "That is, if you want to give this," he waved his pointed fore finger back and forth between them, "what ever _this _is between us an official whirl?"

She was speechless. He wanted her last night all right, but this... this was something different. She knew how she felt about him, she just wasn't prepared for him to come right out and admit he actually had real feelings for her that extended beyond a one night stand, _and_ he wanted to call her his girlfriend. Her animated brown eyes snagged his apologetic green gaze, and she nervously bit at her lower lip, daring to actually believe he really did want her.

"Well? Are you gonna give me a chance, or what?"

A beautiful big, toothy grin flashed before him and she jumped into his arms with a tiny squeal. Twirling her around a couple of times, he finally set her down on her feet.

"What do you say we go and put them out of their collective misery? The best way to handle this is to own it, April. That should shut Chris up for the rest of this trip, and possibly beyond."

Miraculously, she finally found her voice.

"I'm more than okay with that!"

"That's my girl." He reached over to her, his two fingers tilting her head up just enough as he leaned in for one more heavenly kiss. Pulling away, his grey-green eyes danced with mischief, and a satisfied smirk slowly crawled across his handsome face, forming those dimples she loved so much.

* * *

"Okay, BIG staff meeting, right now! Seeing as the two of you are so darn curious, I'll give you a little heads up. April and I _are_ seeing one another. Turns out she actually likes this cranky old bastard, now... if either one of you has a problem with that, too fucking bad!" He didn't care who knew their status anymore, having his capricious state of mind suddenly getting the best of him, and he was more than happy April agreed.

Turning to her his expression softened, and he smiled weakly at her, motioning to her shirt. "I thought I got that turned around the right way the first time. I'm sorry sweetheart."

"Listen man," Chris stood up and walked over to the two of them, "I seriously didn't mean the things I said back there." Looking directly at April now, his sheepish blue eyes met hers and he held out his hand. "I'm known as an undeniable ass hat, I get that. I've said things I probably shouldn't, but tonight, my god April, I crossed a line. For that, I really am sorry. Can we please start over? Friends?"

She stood there, still smarting over the dirty remarks he'd made, but extended her hand and shook his. "I can accept that, thanks Chris. Besides, I'm starting to think what happened to you and me wasn't of our own volition. Did you feel anything strange before you walked outside and saw us?"

"Kelly and I were following a loud noise out in the main area of the house, but we didn't see or capture anything on video. I _was_ feeling a little queasy, but thankfully it passed."

April glanced hesitantly over to Phil, unsure if she should even say it. He motioned for her to go ahead. "Just after I, uh... oh screw it! Just after I threw myself at Phil, he had to carry me out here and I started getting sick to my stomach as well. It's completely gone now."

"I think the only way to get any answers would be to get back to work, and this time, if you notice your partner acting strangely, bring them out right away. Agreed?" Phil circled his arm over April's shoulders and pulled her close. "Be watchful."

It was agreed.

* * *

"I still can't believe the horrible things came out of Chris's mouth." Kelly casually said, sweeping her camera round the room. Everything the ultra-violet light passed over gleamed with stainless steel.

"I think it's safe to say what happened to Chris and myself were our friend Simon's way of introducing himself." April stated, angry now, at how easily it had been for him to manipulate her. She was usually the one able to see it coming, but this time... this spirit eluded her.

"Yeah, probably." Kelly propped herself up onto the kitchen counter and perched her camera on her shoulder. "So... you and Punk, huh?"

April turned to look at the other woman as she took two small cakes from the refrigerator, placing them on a cutting table. She hadn't forgotten Vickie's claim the woman in this room liked sweets. "I guess you could say that. It's pretty brand new. I just didn't want anyone to think I'm not here because of my skills."

"Trust me April, you're here because of your skills. Punk's not the kind of man to use his position to fill his own needs. He's not a selfish guy. By rights he hates people like you, usually." She gave a small laugh, and slipped from her temporary roost. "If you're here, being what it is you do..." She laid her suddenly serious blue eyes on the little nerdy girl. "He must believe in you, and take your abilities seriously. I've seen him rip other mediums to bits. One left an investigation crying once. Hell, look what he just said to me."

"Wow... I'll admit when I first met him he was cool and dismissive, but once he got to see me work he had a change of heart. I am really sorry he laid into you though." She admitted with a secretive smile, recalling being in his room and playing his mother's guitar. She knew that was when she'd completely changed his mind about everything she stood for. She'd proved it to him. "He has a much greater appreciation for what I'm all about."

It was at that moment the girls were interrupted.

"Did you hear that?" April became still and closed her eyes, waiting for more.

Kelly took out an EMF detector and placed it on the counter, waiting. Within a few moments the lights on it started going nuts. "Look, it's going crazy! April?" Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her partner in that eerie, meditative trance again. Her stomach fluttered and her voice was edged with a new found tension."W-what is it?"

"We... we have company Kelly. I can hear her."

"I can't hear anything."

Kelly closed her own eyes, hoping to hear or feel it like April did. Maybe... maybe if she could show some useful skill, she too would be taken more seriously by the others. She desperately wanted to be more than just a pretty face. She wanted the respect April had, and she wanted it from Punk. She had been working with him for almost five years, and while he'd always been professional and respectful throughout the various stages of their relationship, she always felt he didn't quite give her credit where credit was due.

Now this young, fresh-faced clairvoyant had arrived on the scene, and she was being given the respect Kelly believed was rightfully hers. She'd worked years for it, and this kid swooped in under her nose and was reaping all of her hard earned rewards? How could this be happening? She had always been professional and dependable! She had never run screaming from a building like some of the men they had employed in the past. She was a rock. His rock. She never let either one of them down, and now... it felt as if her status with the group was in peril all because of a small, nerdy chick that Punk had taken an obvious shine to, despite his genuine aversion to anyone claiming to be able to speak with the dead. Hell, she was even using his real name!

Kelly could feel her stomach start to clench, and a fierce burning inside her chest threatened to consume her if she didn't find a way to alleviate her abrupt feelings of inadequacy. How could this be happening? How could this girl take years of hard work and turn it into nothing all in one night?

April had turned on the digital recorder, still able to hear a faint humming sound in the still, dark air. A large, walk in cooler suddenly cut in, enough to distract her. She hadn't noticed Kelly had checked out.

"I think Phil was right, this is a residual haunt... everything's happening all around us, yet none of it interacts with us.

"Yeah, sure April... " Kelly's jealous glare was completely missed by her colleague. Yes, she only saw one way to get back what was once hers... She would smoke out this little fake wanna-be ghost hunter and show everyone who was the better investigator.

_Holy water cannot help you now  
See I've come to burn your kingdom down  
And no rivers and no lakes can put the fire out  
I'm gonna raise the stakes, I'm gonna smoke you out _

_**~Seven Devils~ Florence & The Machine~**_

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed that chapter, sorry it took so long to update. Life, lol. Anyway, again as always, I love hearing what you have to say and I hope you still enjoy this story.  
**

**Thanks again to Kelzo for reading part of this for me. :)**


	8. Maybe you're faking it

_~Seven devils all around you  
Seven devils in my house  
See they were there when I woke up this morning  
I'll be dead before the day is done~ _

April set down the digital recorder and steadied herself against the counter, hoping to get more than just a few small murmurs and some humming. Grasping at her talisman, she closed her eyes and began to hum the same, old time children's tune she'd only heard moments before. _Mary had a little lamb_...

Kelly watched, her camera trained on her partner, all the while keeping her ears open for anything else. There was nothing but silence, although April seemed to be following something as she walked through the kitchen, her finger tips tracing along the stainless steel counter tops.

"What's going on?" Kelly finally asked, and put down her camera. "I mean, we've been in here twenty minutes, and all I've seen and heard is you."

April turned around to find her partner looking a little upset. "I can hear a girl humming, back up your camera and listen for yourself."

Kelly did exactly that. All they had gotten was silence.

"I, I don't understand, I could hear it plain as day." April's brows furrowed, not understanding why the equipment didn't pick up the sounds as well.

"Maybe its because there was nothing to hear? Maybe you're just faking it."

The little brunette's eyes instantly snapped over to Kelly's disbelieving gaze. "Excuse me?" I'm faking it?"

"Yeah... maybe you have everyone, including Punk fooled as to how accurate your supposed paranormal abilities are. Maybe you're nothing more than a liar."

April had no idea where this was coming from. Not long beforehand, this woman had been telling her she was hired for her talent and skill... why would she accuse her of being a fake? "But you just said..."

"I know what I said, but think about it. Maybe Punk is completely bamboozled by you sexually. Maybe he doesn't realize that you aren't all you claim to be, and that you tricked him and everyone else. I've worked a long time with these guys, and I've never seen Punk completely change his attitude over something he previously felt so strongly about. The only explanation I have is that you must have played some sort of trick on him."

"That's not true!"

April carefully watched Kelly's tense body language. Her observational training told her in no uncertain terms that this wasn't Kelly anymore. The woman's eyes were vacant and glossy, from which no intelligible emotion or expression could be obtained, and that blank, unresponsive look gave her a cold chill. This was no longer Kelly... April could feel it circling her like a wild animal, and her hair stood on end. She needed to get them both out of the house.

"Listen, Kelly, I think we need to head back to the truck and give the guys a turn in here. Maybe they'll have better luck." She suggested, and turned for the door.

"Oh wow, the great medium April Mendez is giving up_ on the ghost_? Come now..."

"Yeah, I am. We need to leave, Kelly, right now."

April started walking towards the door, her trembling hand on her two way radio. Something felt very, very wrong.

Kelly's eyes zeroed in on her younger colleague's form as she started to leave. Something was screaming at her to prevent April from getting away and taking all the credit she legitimately deserved.

_Go on, Kelly... here's your chance to rid yourself of this up-start and reclaim your rightful place in the group. Go on, do it... do it_...

* * *

Phil impatiently tapped at the computer space bar about twelve times, hard. "Why the hell isn't Kelly's camera coming in anymore?"

Chris looked up from what he was doing to peek at the screen. "Is it completely dead?"

"Yeah. I lost the feed about five minutes ago."

"Maybe the battery was drained again." Chris suggested, and went back to reviewing previous footage.

Punk had reluctantly allowed the women back in on their own, with the promise that they be very aware of each others state of mind before they went in. To say he'd been highly uncomfortable about that was an understatement at the very least. This place had proved to be quite active and dangerous, but they begged him, and once again, he caved. He was about to grab the two way radio when it crackled to life.

* * *

Kelly followed April from the kitchen out into the empty, darkened dining room hall, not six steps behind her. A poisonous smirk crawled across her usually beautiful features, and she started to pull the long, woolen scarf from her neck as she got closer.

"I still cannot believe you would give up already, April..."

"Just come on, we need some air and we should probably report in anyway." April said as she kept up her steady pace. Something didn't feel right at all. She knew now Kelly was being adversely effected, she just didn't realize how badly.

"You're afraid, aren't you, that he's going to discover your facade. When he does, April, you'll be finished with him and this business. He'll tell anyone who will listen that you're a major fraud! You'll never get on with another paranormal out fit again!" She cruelly taunted.

Still, young April kept up her hurried pace. This was getting weirder and weirder.

Realizing the young woman wasn't biting, Kelly wrapped both ends of the scarf tightly around her wrists. Before April could make it out of the hall, Kelly looped it around her throat, abruptly and securely yanking it snug, effectively closing off her airway.

April wasn't even able to get out a sound before Kelly tackled her to the floor. The two way radio bounced out of April's hand a few feet away, and she could feel Kelly's weight straddling her lower back, pulling even tighter on the stretchy material. Her lungs started to sear and her mind was racing almost as fast as her panicked heart. She reached ahead, grabbing and clawing along the floor trying to buck off her attacker. It was hopeless. She was bigger and stronger, and whatever it was controlling her made her all that much more powerful.

Tears started to roll from April's eyes and the pressure in her head felt like it might implode at the lack of oxygen.

"I'm the one who deserves the recognition, sweetheart!" She spat out, struggling to keep April underneath her as long as possible. She would start to lose consciousness soon, then it would be all hers...

April felt suddenly very light headed, and she knew if she didn't alert Phil and Chris soon, this wasn't going to end well. Straining against Kelly's hold, she started to claw her way closer to the radio that had clattered across the floor from her hand. Her entire body was afire now, she knew she was close to passing out at any moment. She... had.. to...reach...it...

"Stop fighting me!" Kelly cried out, slamming her knee into April's back even harder.

When April felt the little radio in her grasping hand, she frantically started pressing on the buttons, she didn't care which ones, hoping Phil and Chris would hear them before it was too late.

* * *

"What the fuck was that?" Chris asked, startled at the crackling sound breaking in and out.

Phil picked up the radio to send a message, but who ever had the other hand held was continuously pressing in the talk button. All they could do was listen. "Something's wrong."

Both of them immediately shot up and bolted for the house.

* * *

Kelly was crying, holding April's violently coughing body in her arms, the scarf she had used to try and choke her still wrapped loosely around her neck. Phil and Chris came bursting through the doors, and she looked up at them, through terrified, bleary eyes.

"I, I don't know what happened... I just, I... when I, I almost strangled her! I'm so sorry, Phil!"

"April!" He fell to her side in an instant, taking her away from Kelly and cradling her in his lap. "My god, April..." He tugged the scarf from her neck and his heart sank, wincing at the large red marks that remained. Holding her face between his thumb and fore finger, he gently shook her head, trying to wake her. "April baby, please, can you hear me?"

"Oh god... I killed her!" Kelly screamed, and started to go into hysterics. "Oh my god, Chris, I killed her!"

Chris grabbed her, restraining the horrified woman against him. "Stop it Kelly! You don't know that!"

Phil lowered his head to April's chest, listening for the heart beat he was never more grateful to hear. He had heard her coughing at first, but then she stopped, and he just about panicked himself. Holding her close, he rocked slowly back and forth, his hand threaded into her hair as a cool wash of relief flooded through him. "She's not dead, thank fuck..." He muttered, and closing his eyes he hugged her as close to him as he could.

April didn't know how long she'd been out, and started to cough violently once again. Her throat was so sore, and she could feel someone holding her. Someone warm and strong, someone she trusted with her life. She knew it was him, and instinctively she grabbed a fist full of his shirt into her little hands for fear she really was dead, and this was nothing more than a depraved dream. She had to make sure he was real.

"April?"

"Is she okay Punk?" Chris asked, and handed him a damp cloth for her head.

"I think so, she just needs some space." He took the cloth and gently dabbed it along her sweaty forehead before pulling the blankets up around her shoulders.

She could feel a cool breeze, and knew they had taken her out of the house. Reaching up, she caught Phil's wrist as her eyes blinked open. "Hey..." She quietly whispered.

"Just relax, okay? Everything's all right." He told her, and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

"Kelly... is Kelly okay? She didn't mean..."

"We know, I figured as much when we found her crying her pretty eyes out over you. She thought she killed you." He explained, shifting in the seat beside her. "If you hadn't gotten your hands on that radio, I don't know... This place," he looked over to the old mansion, "this place really worked us all over good. I'm guessing that had to be wrath."

"I don't think so, Phil." Kelly's words had struck a bit of a chord with April, and she felt so sorry for her all of a sudden. She knew what ever Kelly had said had to be a huge exaggeration to what her true feelings were. That being the case, she was sure, Kelly obviously had an actual deep down fear that she was about to be replaced. "Kelly displayed envy, big time. Before she tried to choke me, she was saying all these crazy things about how she never gets the credit she deserves for all her years of hard work, and that she's been over looked so much." Touching his arm she sighed. "Deep down, that woman thinks you're going to replace her with me. She honestly believes that you, especially, don't believe in her anymore. That's why it was so easy for Simon to manipulate and amplify her feelings to this extent. Phil, I think she's terrified of losing her job. You weren't exactly nice to her earlier. You threatened to fire her!"

He digested that information to the best of his ability. "Kelly, tall, leggy, gorgeous Kelly thinks she's a bumbling failure?"

"Especially so, and _especially_ to_ you_. You_ could_ help to boost some of that low self esteem?" April suggested. "Then maybe she wouldn't feel so threatened by me."

He looked over his shoulder to see Chris was still trying to console their broken-hearted co-worker. "So she thinks I've lost faith in her, huh?" He asked, an idea coming to him.

"I guarantee it."

He brought his eyes back to April and smiled, his lip ring catching the dim light of the dash board. "You really are something, aren't you?"

"Of course I am! That's why we need to get back in there and not allow Simon to push us out." She told him, her voice tinged with stubbornness as she threw back the blanket and sat upright. Gingerly, she felt around her neck and offered a nervous smile. "Kelly's got some freakishly strong arms on her."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Seriously? You really want to go back in there again?" Raising his eyebrows at her he grinned. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, now help me up, the night's wasting away!"

"Hold it, you..."

She gave him a curious look, not quite understanding why he hesitated. One of his hands cupped her face, and he slowly pulled her towards him, covering her mouth with his for a tender, long over-due kiss.

* * *

"Oh April!" Kelly almost knocked the young woman over in her haste to offer her apologies. "I am so sorry! I didn't know what I was saying or doing!"

"It's all right Kelly, I know you didn't." April hugged her back. "I think Simon hates us though. He's determined to scare us away, so we need to show him that isn't going to be easy."

"You aren't going back inside..." Kelly's eye grew wide.

April nodded. "Yeah, but Chris is coming with me this time, and you and Phil are going to be investigating together.

_~Seven devils all around you  
Seven devils in your house  
See I was dead when I woke up this morning,  
And I'll be dead before the day is done  
Before the day is done ~_

_**Seven Devils~Florence and the Machine**_


	9. naughty girl on girl wrestling

**Here you go, another one in only a couple of days! Yeah! Hope you are all still enjoying this one. XD**

* * *

Phil slowly walked along the second floor stairway leading up to the attic, with Kelly following, her camera glued to his back as he gingerly made his way through the tiny corridor step by step. Her stomach still churned over what she'd been tricked into thinking and doing to poor April. She was just grateful everyone was aware it hadn't been her, but the entity controlling her actions. She'd been startled even further when it was decided that Chris would be working with April, and she with Punk.

It had been a long time since he and she had done this together. If she was accurate, it had been two years since they had walked into a haunted space with one another, just the two of them. Since the day they had broken up, he'd been sure to always stick her with Chris or someone else. He hadn't accompanied her in all that time on their own. It was no wonder she'd often felt as if he had stopped taking her and her skills seriously. Sure, he never came right out and told her he didn't believe in her anymore, but actions always spoke louder than words, and his rather dismissive actions in the last two years had been deafening to her.

They hadn't come across anything yet, and she was beginning to think they'd gotten everything they were going to get. Even Punk seemed genuinely disappointed in the lack of activity. He sat on an old trunk and looked up at her, shrugging.

"I'm thinking of calling it. Aside from our emotional and mental states being toyed with, we didn't get a lot."

"I thought you and April caught a shadow figure in the basement." Kelly reminded him.

"Oh yeah, we did." He laughed a little, having completely forgotten that with all the other things happening after it. "That was incredible, too. We caught that right before April started going all carnal on me..."

Kelly picked up the 35 mm camera strung around her neck and started taking stills in every direction. As she panned past Punk, he had both of his thumbs touching the sides of his head and he was wiggling his fingers at her, making a stupid face.

"Be serious!" She said, trying to be serious herself. It didn't help that he'd decided to let this session degenerate into this asinine tom foolery. "Punk, I'm trying to work, here. Something you should be doing as well?"

He sighed and took out a small flashlight, shining it into the blackened corners of the attic. There were boxes everywhere, along with a few pieces of furniture covered in white sheets, a gilded bird cage, some children's toys, and a very old doll house. The cob webs were everywhere.

"You're right. I need to stay focused." He agreed.

When Kelly shrieked and practically leapt right into his arms, he damned near fell over.

"What the f... Kelly!" He muttered, stumbling back over a couple of small boxes.

"Something touched me, _something touched me_!"

He raised a curious eye brow at her before setting her back down on her own two feet. "Something touched you?"

"Yes! Are you deaf?" She yelled at him, and instinctively wrapped her own arms around herself. "It felt like someone was running cold, clammy fingers across my arm!"

"But Kelly, John's back at the office..."

She glared at him in the dim light of the infra red camera. "You're such a comedian, Punk. I felt something..."

Both of them stopped talking when in the farthest corner of the attic, a small, child-sized rocking chair started to move all by itself.

Kellys' eyes bugged out of her head and she started to smile. "Would you look at that."

Punk was fixated on it as well, and fished out a digital thermometer. "Come on..."

They both quietly made their way closer to the chair as it continued to rock back and forth as if they weren't even there. He noticed right away a drop in room temperature, and turned on the hand held device.

"Seventy, sixty eight..." Now he was right on top of it. "Fifty one! Ho-leee fuck! It's as if someone about four years old is sitting there." He motioned where the temperature rose in variation to the height of what was in the seat. Passing his hand through, he could even feel the difference on his bare skin.

"I told you someone touched me!" She whined at him and started to film the action. When a faint child-like giggle came from behind, she whipped the camera about face, but nothing could be seen except the sharp, shadowy angles of the room. "I heard you... is there something you wanted to tell us?"

Punk wasted no time turning on his evp recorder and placing it on a ledge. "Who's up here with us?"

More muffled laughter started up, and this time they both heard it. It seemed to start in the corner where the rocking chair was, then circled all around them.

"Creepy as fuck..." Kelly whispered.

"You won't get an argument out of me. Vickie didn't say anything about little kids."

"How old are you?" She asked, panning her video camera around the attic again.

"Why are you here?" Punk added, and leaned against the stair railing, hoping for some sort of response. He waited a moment more, then turned it off. "Let's see what's on it."

They both sat down on the floor, and he placed the recorder in between them, turning it on. There was some white noise, and you could clearly hear the both of them asking questions, then there was the strange kiddie laughter... but nothing else.

"I should have called dibs on the thermal camera." He openly complained. "I'd love to do a sweep."

"Let's go get it then. Chris was using it and he and April are back in the kitchen."

Punk picked up the two way and nodded at Kelly. "Hey, are you guys using the thermal right now?"

"No. We're trying to figure out who ate the two cakes April left on the counter before Kelly went all Predator on her ass."

Kelly sucked in her breath and hid her eyes. Of course he _had_ to mention that..

Okay, we're on our way down to get it. There's quite a bit of activity up here."

"Copy that."

* * *

They both started to head down the steps, Punk first. Kelly kept the camera on him as they descended, feeling all her hair start to stand on end. Something wasn't right. They made it to the landing, and began making their way down the long, dark servant's corridor to the main hall way. Just as Punk rounded the corner, Kelly caught it out of the corner of her eye. First the long, heavy jacquard curtains to their left started to billow out all on their own as he walked past, and there was a strained creaking noise following that. It was as if Punk didn't even notice and she couldn't believe that he hadn't, as he continued down the hall, seemingly oblivious to all that was happening right behind him. She documented everything.

He passed in front a large, eight foot wooden book case when something compelled him to stop. It was the strangest feeling... his feet suddenly felt like iron dead weights, his heart started to jump, and his arms were numb and heavy. He could feel the familiar tell tale signs of panic as it ripped through his body in a nano-second. He couldn't move and everything around him began to spin...

Kelly stood there still filming, all her nerve endings on high alert. She was shaking now, and felt so vulnerable and unsafe.

There wasn't any time for her to call out a warning. She dropped her camera and tackled him like a linebacker just as the entire set of shelves came crashing down.

Punk was sure he would never live this down. He had the wind knocked out of him by a girl... he could feel her trembling body laid out across his back as he lay on his belly, grateful she had the where-with-all to save him from being pancaked by numerous hard cover volumes of Shakespeare and Dickens AND a century old oak book case.

"Are, are you okay?" Kelly timidly whispered, her breathing now choppy and her quiet voice suddenly hoarse.

He moved a little beneath her and she quickly slid from his body, allowing him to roll over onto his back and catch a half decent breath. He stayed like that, covering his eyes with his arm and pulling one leg up, bent at the knee. His heart was thumping incredibly hard against his ribs, and he still couldn't draw enough oxygen.

"Phil?" She knew she shouldn't call him by that name, but he was scaring her. It wasn't like him to be in any sort of distress.

Lifting his arm just enough to look at her, he forced a reassuring smile. He could see she was scared, and but he wasn't sure if it was because she'd called him by his actual name, or because he almost needed a god damn ambulance. What was starting to feel like a full blown panic attack gave him pause. That ambulance just might become a reality if he couldn't get hold of himself.

"See-seeing as y-you just s-saved me from full... full body traction... _fuck_..." He swallowed hard and shook his head some more, still trying to regain a normal breathing pattern. "I'll forget y-you just c-called me Phil."

"Here, let me help you up." Kelly took his hand and started to pull. She didn't like vulnerable Punk.

"No, no no..." He winced, stumbling back down onto his rear end, and covered his eyes with both hands. "Room's still spinning Kell, I, I can't get up yet. Give me another, uh, minute."

"What happened just before the shelf came down?" She asked, and started to rub one of his hands in between hers. He was really hot, but the house was so cool. "I just remember having the strangest feeling that something was really wrong, and then I saw the shelf..."

"Me too. I, I just couldn't move. It was like I couldn't hear properly, then my body started to get all jello-like and really heavy. I, I was anchored to where I was standing. I didn't even know the shelf was coming down until I heard it hit the floor."

"Do you think you can walk on your own now?" She asked him, gently rubbing at the back of his neck.

He gave her a pensive look, but nodded. "I'll give it another try."

Once more Kelly took his arm in her two hands, fully intending on being able to help him up, but when he was finally half way standing, down he went again.

"The room won't s-stop fucking g-gyrating!" He slammed his fist into the plush carpeting, starting to lose his patience.

"I don't understand this..." She felt his fore head. You have what feels like a fever. Are you warm?"

"N-no. I feel kind of cold, actually." Punk admitted. Kelly got down on her knees in front of him and felt his face, then used her thumbs to open his eye lids wider for further inspection.

"Your pupils aren't dilated. Punk, I don't understand. We've all had issues this evening, all dealing with our emotional and mental well being. Maybe Simon's making you sick instead of making you act all crazy like the rest of us. Here, let me try something."

He was in no condition at the moment to refuse her as she took the digital recorder out of his pocket and placed it on the floor in front of them.

"Okay Simon, you had your fun. I guess Punk's not as easy a nut to crack when it comes to his mental capacities, is he? He's got a mind like a steel trap!" She sat on her haunches and placed her hands at her hips, daring the spirit to answer her. "Come on, tough guy... let me know you're there! You don't scare either one of us. You have no effect on us anymore!"

"Kelly, stop... let's n-not antagonize it f-further." He warned, suddenly scared at the semi-blurred vision and tightening chest he was now experiencing. He grabbed her by the arm to try and get her attention, willing himself to remain in a seated position, but it was almost impossible with everything surrounding him doing pirouettes in circles around his head.

She looked over to him. He was positively green. His shadowy eyes stared blankly ahead now, unable to focus on anything. The moment he lost consciousness, Kelly started to lose her nerve. She unclipped the radio from his belt as she desperately tried to wake him.

* * *

"Chris, Chris!"

"Yeah Kelly, what's taking you two so fucking long?"

"It's Punk! He's like, oh my god... he's passed right out! I don't know what's wrong!"

Chris came bounding up the stairs with April right on his heels. When they reached the landing, there Punk was lying flat on his back, and Kelly was at his side, her hands fanning across his face and over his head. She was a little too close, in April's opinion.

"What the fuck happened?" Chris asked, getting down beside them as he noticed the wrecked book case and mess of books lying all over the hallway.

"We were coming to see you guys, and he stopped, right where the shelving unit was. I didn't know what was happening, but I got a really bad feeling, Then the freaking shelf started to fall..."

Chris checked his pulse and briefly listened to his heart. "Then what?"

"I tackled him out of the way to the floor. I, I thought we were okay, you know? When he tried to stand up he complained about being dizzy."

"You what?" Chris's eyes widened.

"I tackled him. I had to! If I had just stood there he would have been flattened."

"So why is he unconscious now?" April demanded to know, her nerves completely gone. She wasn't accustomed to seeing Phil like this. Taking his hand in hers, she looked over to Kelly for an answer. "What's wrong with him?"

"I, I don't have a clue... he just fainted."

April turned to Chris. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"I don't know sweetie, but we can't leave him here." Chris hoisted his partner into a fireman's carry, and started down the hall towards the rooms.

"Okay, I'm officially calling it. We're done." Chris announced. "I'm going to get our bags, you two stay here. It's the only part of the house where Simon hasn't bothered anyone."

The two women remained silent as they waited for Chris to return. He'd been sure Punk wasn't in any danger, and as long as he slept it off everything would be all right. Kelly stood over by the window looking outside into the endless black night. Part of her felt a little responsible for having provoked Simon, and used Punk as a weapon against the spirit. She'd known better than that, but at the time, it didn't feel like the wrong way to go. She was just thankful only she and Punk knew what was said... for now.

April sat on the bed beside him, patting a cold, damp cloth along Phil's hot, sweaty fore head as he slept. Simon had gotten to all of them, just like Vickie had promised he could. One way or another, he cut each one of them down. She couldn't suppress the anger she started to feel towards the blonde woman, having been with Phil when this happened, and while she knew he would probably be all right by the morning, she hated to see him like this. It reminded her of the island. The first case she worked on with him and the nightmares they had been put through.

She had removed his shoes and pulled the duvet over his body, noting the bouts of shaking he did every so often, even though he felt like he was burning up with fever.

_Kelly's to blame_...

April's hair stood on end.

_She did this to him_...

April closed her eyes, trying to will away the subconscious suggestion, but it was too powerful. All she had to do was look at Phil's quiet, expressionless face for the feelings of anger to resurface once more.

_She is responsible for his pain_...

Those were the messages, and they kept niggling at her relentlessly. She glanced over to Kelly, who had now taken a seat and seemed to be drifting off to sleep as if she hadn't a care in the world. How _could_ she? They were in serious trouble and she didn't seem to even notice! Poor April was vibrating now, she was so upset, and without a word, she slid from Phil's bedside and silently padded across the dimly lit room.

"How the hell can you sit there and sleep?" She demanded, startling the other woman. "This is all your fault!"

Kelly looked up at April incredulously. "April, I didn't do this..."

She wasn't allowed to finish her thought.

April grabbed her and threw her from the chair, then quickly crawled over top of her, landing punch after punch across the other woman's head and face as she tried to protect herself from the flurry of fists and hair being thrown in her direction.

Ow, Apri...ouch, stop this! Ow! Come on... please!"

"You... did this... you weren't careful and he's paying... for...it!"

"No, I swear! OW! April come on... you aren't thinking...ow, straight!"

"I'm not? How dare you!" She hauled off and slapped her right across the face now, leaving a huge red mark in her wake. "I was told this is all on you!"

Kelly glared angrily back at the petite brunette. "You were lied to!"

Kelly knew she'd provoked using Punk, but Simon had already started to go after him before she'd even opened her mouth.

* * *

Chris could hear them outside the door, dropping everything in time to see April trying to literally rip Kelly's gold hair right off her head. "Ladies! If I wanted..." he grabbed April's flailing body as she struggled against him from Kelly's beaten up frame and deposited her in the opposite corner, "to see some naughty girl on girl wrestling, I'd head straight for the local fucking titty bar. That not being the case right now, I'm going to call a time out!"

April was hyperventilating. "She, she deserved everything she got!"

"She's crazy!" Kelly chimed in, rubbing her sore face and shoulders.

"Both of you, shut the hell up!" Now Chris was upset.

The room suddenly fell silent and all three of them looked between each other. It was like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"What the... fuck... are you doing?" Punk weakly asked, now sitting up on the bed, leaning on unsteady arms. Did he just see what he thought he did, or was he still dreaming?


	10. devily and sex appeal

**My oh my I am on a bit of a roll here... hope you all enjoyed the last one. Here is number ten! Please let me know what you think!**

* * *

_"What the... fuck... are you doing?" Punk weakly asked, now sitting up on the bed, leaning on unsteady arms._

He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't woken to the sounds of someone smacking the crap out of someone else. They were all staring at him like _he_ was the ghost.

Chris was the first to open his mouth, it was only fitting. "I just prevented these two lovely young ladies from beating the absolute snot out of one another." He smirked, his eyes falling to the great big shiner now forming under Kelly's left eye. "Your little girlfriend here almost had Kelly in a head lock."

April's mind went haywire... "I...I what?" Her arms were aching, and it wasn't like she hadn't noticed all the red marks now littered along her arms. "No..."

Kelly gingerly nodded her head. "Yeah, you went ape shit all of a sudden, blaming me for Punk's condition. Sorry for the pun, but you did. I think you fell victim again, April, only to a very different affliction."

One look at Kelly's disheveled hair and the great big hand print across her face told April they weren't kidding. The hint of the black eye made April wince.

"I am so sorry... I never meant to, I, I had no idea..."

Kelly brushed it off with a weak smile. "That's okay, now we're even for me trying to kill you."

Chris started to chuckle. "Hell hath no _wrath_, like a woman in love, eh? I was gonna make some pop corn and watch, but I didn't think you would appreciate me allowing the girls to start a roller derby brawl on the job, Punk."

Phil shook his head, still feeling the uncomfortable effects of losing consciousness. His mouth was dry and his body ached. He dared not try to get up yet.

April slowly got to her feet and made her way over to him. "Do you remember anything?" She asked, and set herself down on the bed beside him, rubbing her hand along his arm.

"I remember being tackled by our star player here..." He pointed to the blonde bombshell with a painful chuckle. "Jesus, it even hurts to laugh."

"What else, Punk?" Kelly asked, scared now he would be upset with her line of provocation. _Please don't remember I called you Phil..._

"You tried to help me up and I couldn't stand... uh, then we started to try and provoke Simon, or what ever this twisted fucker's name is. Yeah, that's what we did." He turned to look right at her as she stood there, nervously anticipating another one of his corrosive rip jobs. "Kelly, you really impressed me with how you got him to show himself. That was great work! Brilliant idea to use me to bait him."

_Did Punk just praise her work?_ "Excuse me?" She squeaked.

"You heard me," he paused, winking at her "and I heard you, too." Yeah, he remembered what she called him, and he was okay with that, this one time.

Kelly finally started to breathe as the weight of what she was sure would be a huge mistake lifted, and she could feel her confidence start to seep back little by little. "Thank you."

"Well, Ladies and jack ass, I have a few emails to answer, and a new boobie site I'd like to check out before beddie bye." Chris announced, and picked up his back pack. "I'll leave you in April's capable hands Punk. You don't seem any worse for wear now Kelly, allow me to walk you to your room, sweetheart." He held out his arm for her, all gentlemanly like.

She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "I'd be safer taking a walk with Jack the Ripper, Chris." She sniped at him, and followed him out into the hall.

"Ah... it's so nice to see you haven't gotten a big head after receiving the boss's seal of approval once again, Kelly." He called after her, chuckling.

He couldn't believe how far a little bit of encouragement, and what looked like forgiveness on Punk's part, could go to to help her feel better about herself. It had been hard over the past couple of years watching him treat the woman with such a distasteful, scoffing attitude. He could certainly understand where Punk had been coming from, but Chris had long felt it was high time he let it go. The past was the past. It should've stayed there.

* * *

"So..." Phil ran a hand through his hair and scratched at the back of his neck. "You beat the crap out of Kelly. Utterly fascinating."

"That wasn't my doing!" She hotly protested, feeling the heat creep up along her cheeks. "I was driven to it and you know it!"

"I'll tell you what I know, Miss Mendez." He loved seeing her get flustered, and circling his arms around her, he gently kissed her fore head. In a low, tired voice, he spoke directly into her ear. "I know I'm insanely turned on that you would stoop so low on my behalf. Thank you, Madame."

She swallowed hard. Her eyes blinked rapidly and she felt herself quiver just a little at the closeness of him. "You are?" She whispered, her breath leaving small goose bumps along the skin of his neck.

"Yeah, a guy could get used to that really fast." He admitted, his hands now ghosting up along her arms as he planted another warm, wet kiss on her shoulder this time.

April quickly took the opportunity to slip from his arms with a sigh, and headed for the bathroom, and much needed sanctuary. She didn't see the disappointed look on his face as she pulled away from him again.

"I, I'm exhausted... Can I get you anything after I get changed?" April asked him, retrieving her own over-night bag from the floor. "How about some water? I'm guessing you're probably dehydrated after passing out like that."

"Sure, water would be great. " He nodded. She was playing shy again.

"Okay, I won't be a moment." She told him, and quickly disappeared behind the door.

He shifted in the bed, and swung his unsteady legs over the edge. He hadn't attempted to stand up yet, not entirely positive the ill effects of Simon's tampering had completely worn away. Glancing to the night stand, he could see two room key cards. When they arrived he had assumed April would want her own room, and he still half expected her to go to it after she was sure he would be all right alone.

* * *

April looked at herself in the mirror after brushing her teeth, still not believing she was alone in a fancy hotel suite with him, dressed in her flannel Spiderman jammies. Yeah, wasn't _she_ hot. A sexy vision to behold, no less! Right... Part of her wondered if he would expect certain things from her after declaring they were officially a couple. It would only stand to reason for him to expect her to sleep in the same bed, and he would probably want to do things... he was a man, after all. He'd wanted to do them that first night at his place. She did too... but... Nervously swallowing back her trepidation, she pulled her brush through her long, thick hair, counting the strokes as she did so.

It had been an eventful evening, and all of them had experienced at least something. Granted, she didn't think it was fair for Simon to pick on her twice, both times in completely embarrassing ways. Phil had been the only exception where is state of mind wasn't compromised, just his state of being. She just hoped it was over now, and that Chris was right about this wing being clear of the entity's tricks. They had all been through quite enough as it was.

Tying her hair up into a loose, messy bun for the night, she took another deep, meditative breath. Sighing, she knew had to go out there at some point. Biting at her bottom lip she gave herself a mental shake. It would be okay... it was a natural thing all people do... she wanted to do it, she did. Really. She couldn't turn him down now, could she? Fishing around in her toiletries bag, she took out the condom inside, studying it through the thin plastic wrapper, feeling her stomach twist just a little at the thought of him on top of her again, just like the night before, only this time, she wouldn't run away. Well, she would _try_ not to run away. Just as quickly she shoved it back in the bag and turned, taking one last deep breath.

Peeking out into the room she could see he was no longer laid out on the bed. The lamp beside the bed was still on, but that was the only lighting present. The duvet and a pillow were missing. Everything was so quiet. Swinging the door wide she scanned the room, finding him stretched across the couch, his head propped with a pillow and a blanket draped over him. One tattooed arm covered his face, shielding his eyes from the light. His jacket, jeans,and sweat shirt were scattered across the floor beside him. Had he already fallen asleep that fast?

Padding closer to him she noticed he still had his socks on, and his boxers, she assumed with a cheeky little grin as she took careful attendance of what articles of clothing he'd stripped from his tired, achy body. She watched the rise and fall of his chest with each breath he took, almost mesmerized by him. He did seem like he'd had the life strangled out of him once he'd come to, and she worried that maybe it had been too much. She was within touching range now, and not really thinking, she reached for him, caressing her fingers through his dark, soft hair. Here was the man who had saved her life, the man who could have taken advantage of her and didn't, the one who wanted to be with her... laid out in front of her almost naked, and _still_ she was nervous to be alone with him.

He hadn't stirred when she touched him, emboldening her. She got closer now, and coursed her fingers along his bare arm, watching as the muscles beneath the smooth skin twitched the moment she ran them across. She was wary, he'd fooled her before thinking sleep had claimed him. She half expected any moment for him to playfully grab her and laugh. When he didn't, she could feel a small trace of disappointment. It looked like he'd decided to let her have the bed all to herself.

* * *

Kelly curled up under the covers alone, like always. Even as she lay trying to sleep, she couldn't wipe the smile from her face. He believed in her again, just like before... before she screwed it all to hell. She knew she was to blame, and the fact that he'd never told anyone to this day often shocked her. Kelly herself had shared the details with Chris out of sheer desperation in needing someone to talk to when Punk cut off all emotional ties to her. Chris brought her back from the brink of depression and madness, and she was more than certain he'd convinced Punk to let her keep her job. He had no real grounds to let her go in the first place.

It had been rocky for a while, but after a few months they managed to make working together as palatable as they could. Kelly knew deep down had she been honest with him from the start, all her troubles would have ceased to exist. His biggest complaint during the whole ordeal was that she hadn't trusted him enough to come to him when she needed him, and that made all the difference to Punk. Why she even attempted trying to fool him all those years ago was beyond foolish. She knew that now. Maybe if their working relationship could be repaired, so could the personal one. He had never said out loud that he had forgiven her, but this was a start, and she would gladly take it.

* * *

He could feel the warmth of April's body squished against his on the skinny sofa, one arm whipped around him, hooking her leg over his hip. So much for being a gentleman and leaving her the spacious, king sized bed. Her head was tucked under his arm, her face pressed between his bicep and his chest, and she was wheezing through her cute, pouting, open mouth. If he had known she was okay with sharing sleeping quarters, he would have curled up on the bed in the first place. The last time he'd been this close to her in a horizontal position, he'd learned a very important reality... she wasn't anywhere near ready to share his bed the way lovers usually did. Yet, here she was clinging to him, barley hanging on, her adorable little cat-like nose crammed into very intimately into his arm pit.

With his free arm, he smoothed his hand over her head, tugging away the loose scrunchie she had tangled there, freeing her soft, long hair and allowing it to fall across her shoulders and back. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. Yawning, he stretched out a little bit more, letting one of his legs hang over the edge of the sofa, causing April's pliant, slumbering body to easily drift across his tummy and into the cradle of his thighs. God, did she ever feel good pressed against him like this.

She didn't move, becoming completely awake from the moment he'd shifted beneath her. Every inch of her body was in line with his as he held her, and she could easily hear and feel the vibration of his heart thumping steady and strong into her ear and feel his slow, awakening need nestled so snugly into her tummy. He may as well have been wearing nothing at all, for the lot of good that duvet and his boxer shorts did to hide how he was feeling.

Placing his hand on her shoulder, he gave her a gentle shake. "You awake, April?" He softly asked, his hot breath coursing along the top of her head. "Sweetheart, we can't stay like this. Why don't we both go lie on the bed where there's more room instead?"

She tilted her head up to meet his dark, hooded gaze. Mischief lurked within those dangerous, olivine orbs. Her heart began to skip and dance inside her chest and she anxiously licked her lips. The corners of his sexy mouth had ticked up into a flirtatious grin, accentuating the little crows feet at the corners of his eyes, and the laugh lines on his scruffy face. When he kissed her she melted against him, digging her nails into his biceps as she brazenly darted her tongue deep inside his mouth. He consumed her like a fire razed oxygen, and his hands anchored at her hips, his fingers tucking themselves just under the waistband of her pyjama pants. Forgetting himself for a moment, he instinctively began to push the material of those pants over her hips and half way down her bottom.

April groaned into his mouth, trying to extract herself before it was too late... but it felt so good to feel his rough hands now kneading the naked skin of her back side. How on earth was it possible to resist such a combination of devilry and sex appeal?

"Kelly told me, you two used to sleep together."


	11. a matter of trust

**The italics are flashbacks of Punk's. I'm going to finish this story short up then do more on DCT.  
**

**If you have never listened to Pan's Labyrinth - Lux Aeterna (Full Orchestral Remix) or Obsidia - Requiem For A Dream (Dubstep Remix) on You Tube, you should. They're great pieces of music if you are writing. ;) Same song, just done in two completely different styles!  
**

**Once again, thank you for the reviews and follows. :) **

**Having faith Punk will break the Streak! Thank you Sam for reading for me!  
**

* * *

"She sorta mentioned that you two used to share a bed." April sheepishly admitted. She hated asking him something like that at a moment like this, but her nerves were getting frazzled and they had gotten the better of her yet again. She was now rambling off at the mouth without a shut off valve. It had been the very first thing to pop into her head when he suggested moving to the bed. "So, uh, you guys were a committed couple at one point then, right?"

His entire body stiffened, and not in a good way.

Clearly, he wasn't interested in talking about it. Hugging him now, she affectionately kissed his prickly cheek and closed her eyes, resting her head just under his chin. "I'm really not trying to pry, but what happened between you two that caused you to lose all your faith in her? She's a great investigator Phil. You know she is."

She felt him run his hand over her back as he sighed. There was so much conflict contained within it.

"I really would rather not discuss it April, please."

This was the last thing he thought they'd be talking about by now. Glancing over to the clock, he couldn't help but wonder if she only brought his up to avoid him and that big bed... He wished she realized after that first night that she didn't have to find distractions to avoid the subject of sex with him. He would never push her into anything she was uncomfortable with. Not ever.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." She told him, suddenly regretting bringing it up, and hoping she hadn't just gotten Kelly into another mess of trouble with him. "I was just naturally a little curious about it, that's all. She didn't elaborate on it or anything."

"How on earth did the subject of her and I come up anyway?" He did not want this conversation. This was what he'd been afraid of.

"It sorta slipped out when you brought me to the office the other day, she didn't mean anything by it. She was just shocked you let me call you by your first name and she mentioned it. I don't think she even meant to share that much, actually." April explained, hoping he would be all right with that.

He scowled, shifting his weight underneath her. "She had no business telling you or anyone else anything."

April was sure now that there had been a lot more to their relationship than merely growing apart and breaking up like most couples do. Something he obviously wasn't yet over went horribly wrong. Had Kelly cheated on him, she wondered?

"Phil... what could Kelly have possibly done to damage your relationship this badly that it still bothers you?"

"Look, I don't want to talk about that, okay? It's ancient history now, and it's personal. April, I did like you asked me to, and offered her a few kind words and an olive branch. That's all I'm willing to do where Kelly's concerned."

April was hard pressed to believe Phil could be so cold without good reason. It went without saying that what ever it was, it still hurt him, and he wasn't willing to share it with her.

"Sometimes," she caressed his face, "sometimes sharing it with someone that cares about you helps make the pain of what's bothering you lessen." She watched his features harden, and his smoky green eyes narrowed as they caught her beautiful cocoa coloured orbs, and the concern for him that swam inside them. Still, the uncomfortable feelings it dredged up remained.

No, he wasn't opening up about that. Not to April, not to anyone. He couldn't. She was wrong.

"Look, I'm not trying to be a dick here, but I won't be getting into this with you or anyone else. It's a private matter between Kelly and myself. End of discussion, all right?"

She could hear the strain evident in his voice, almost as if he was pleading for her to just drop it.

Suddenly pushing himself up from the couch he strode over to the bed, flopping down face first. He just couldn't get far enough away from this conversation.

* * *

"_Hello?" His gravelly voice answered, having been aroused from a cat nap he hadn't meant to take._

"_Hello dear. This is Katherine from Doctor Southby's office. May I please speak with Miss Kelly Kelly?"_

_Punk furrowed his brows, feeling a slight uneasy twinge in his gut, and he grew instantly wide awake. Why was Kelly's doctor calling her at home? "She's not here right now Katherine, uh, may I take a message?" He asked. _

"_That's all right. This is just a routine follow up call regarding the procedure she'd had done a week ago. Would you ask her to give us a call?"_

"_No problem. What's the doctor's name again?"_

"_Doctor Southby."_

_He grabbed a pen and scribbled the name down on the telephone book. "Thanks, I'll see that she gets the message."_

_Hanging up the phone, he lay there on the couch a few moments collecting himself. Kelly didn't mention any medical procedure to him, and he was damned sure she wasn't sick. Was she? He couldn't help it, he was worried now. His mind went straight to the worst possible scenario and then some. Grabbing the phone directory, he started flipping through the physician listings... Southby... Southby... He coursed his fingers down the long list finally locating the doctor, and his practice. Doctor David Southby, OBGYN. _

_His heart seized inside his chest_.

* * *

"Look, I'm sorry Phil, really, and I promise won't ask again." She tried to explain, hoping he wasn't offended by her questions, and followed him over to the bed. He'd rolled over onto his back now, and folded his arms behind his head. Sitting beside him, she guardedly placed her hand on his bare thigh. The feel of his hot skin under her finger tips sent a mild shock wave through her already anxious body. Swallowing hard, she continued. "I understand if you want to keep that to yourself."

Phil really didn't want to dredge up all those bad feelings right now. Eventually, there might be a time and place, but not right now. He looked over to her and smiled. She was trying so hard to show she cared about his feelings and stuff... he didn't want to feel hurt and angry. He wanted to feel her lips attached to his. Hell, she was within arm's reach, wouldn't she get a big surprise if he just grabbed her and pulled her down with him?

"Phil!"

Her giggling danced through the room as he caught hold of her, pulling her down beside him. The old bed creaked a little from the weight of the two of them playfully bouncing and thrashing around, and it wasn't long before they both became quiet. His arms were wrapped tightly around her now, pinning her to the mattress. She shyly hid her face into the curve of his chest. Her heart thudded in and out of time, every nerve ending very aware that he was once again, lying right on top of her.

Oh god... he smelled like an untamed wild thing, and she was putty in this grasp.

"Hey..." His voice was soft and low, and begging for her to look at him. "You don't ever have to be afraid of me April. I'll _never_ hurt you."

His large leg shifted off of her and he rolled partially to one side, allowing her the chance to pull away if she needed it.

She timidly lifted her eyes to his, chewing on her lower lip, knowing her entire body must have felt like a wooden plank to him. Gone were all traces of his previous irritation. Instead, he was smiling at her, almost chuckling at one point. He was completely fascinated by her quasi innocence. It was apparent to him she was clearly interested in what was hiding behind door number one, but part of her wasn't so sure she could take the gamble.

"I'm not afraid of you." She told him with a hint of mild defiance to her already shaky voice, and looked him right in the eye. _Awkward_. Her body was screaming at her to just give in to the extremely intense untamed feelings that threatened to over take her senses, while her brain kept throwing barricade after barricade of fear and deep seeded reservations in her path. Her tummy was somersaulting at his full frontal closeness and her loins were afire. She dared to catch his eye once again to prove her bravery, then allowed her gaze to drift down to his silver lip ring, hovering there a moment before scooting back to those sexy, reckless green eyes. This was eating her alive.

"Are you sure, Ape?" He raised an eye brow at her in cheeky fashion, coursing his hand through her long, dark hair, and allowing it to slip through his nimble fingers. "Are you sure I don't scare you, not even a little bit?"

"No you don't."

"I don't believe you." He said, smacking his lips. He could feel her lightly tremble beneath him every few moments. He knew she was struggling with herself. Thoughtfully moving a curly tendril of her hair out of her eyes and tucking it back, he pressed his lips together rather seriously. "I'm not the Big Bad Wolf and you're not little Red Riding Hood. I want you to know I'm never going to push myself on you. I'm sorta getting the impression you think you have to put out in order to be with me." When her eyes darted away from his and she tried to hide once again in his arm pit, he knew he was right. "_April honey_, that could not be further away form the truth, okay? Yes, I would be a liar if I said I didn't want you... but to be honest, I need you to want me just as much. It'll happen when you're ready, and not a moment sooner than that. April?"

"R-really?"

"Yeah... I mean it. I'm not a bully, sweetheart. This isn't a race, okay? We can mess around all we want, but you call all," he dipped his head to her shoulder, "the shots," then brushed the collar of her night shirt down just enough to expose her smooth, golden skin, "baby doll." Pressing his lips there, he felt her shiver as she clung to him even tighter.

"Thank you for understanding." She gratefully whispered, not really knowing what else to say. Not in a million years would she have expected to hear that from a man like him.

"Thank _you_," he growled, dropping another searing kiss to the delicate curve of her neck this time, "thank you for not running away with your basket full of goodies, Red."

* * *

"_Kelly, tell me this isn't true!" He demanded, his voice getting more agitated the longer she made him wait for an answer. "This guy is a baby doctor, for fuck sake! Are you pregnant?" He glared at her, terrified.  
_

"_NO!" She bitterly spat back at him. Truthfully, she had wanted to crawl under a rock the moment he handed her Doctor Southby's message. He knew. He knew and she hid it from him. She had broken his trust for good._

"_If you aren't pregnant, why did you need to go see him?"_

_Another question. She refused to even look at him now.  
_

_Pacing in circles, he tried his best to keep his temper in check. It wasn't everyday the woman he loved lied to him on this grand a scale. He wanted to scream at her, he wanted to throw and break things, he desperately wanted an explanation that would make this all better...Running his hand over his face and through his hair in frustration, he struggled to find a way to talk about this without it descending into a complete cluster-fuck. She was seated on the couch crying, her breath hitching in her chest every few seconds, trying to remain as composed as she could. Her lack of willingness to talk about this only compounded his feelings of betrayal. Honesty and trust were everything to him. If she couldn't trust him to come to him when she needed him, what was left? _

"_Kelly, please..." he begged her now,"just tell me what the hell happened, and why you needed a gynecologist when you aren't pregnant? This guy does more than just __**deliver**__ babies!" The insinuation meant what it implied. He was so afraid of what the answer was, but he had to hear __**her**__ say it. They said she'd had a procedure done. Please don't let it be that..._

"_I don't want to talk about it!" Her terrified voice was edged with tension as she struggled to swallow back the bile now creeping up her aching throat. He wasn't going to leave her alone until she told him out right.  
_

_He grabbed her by the arms and hauled her to her feet to face him. "That's too fucking bad, because you're going to talk about it!"_

"_Phil.. I, I'm so sorry..." She started to say, her body shaking so bad she could barely even string together a coherent sentence._

"_Sorry for what?" His smoky grey-green eyes had welled with tears now, knowing damned well what she'd gone and done. Hell, he would never have stopped her if that was her choice but...but she left him out like he had no vested interest. Like he didn't matter, like he had no right to know..."Tell me Kelly... please."_

"_I got an abortion!" She cried, collapsing into his arms. He held her for a few moments as the words started to slowly strangle them both.  
_

_Everything he thought he knew about their relationship __had __cruelly descended into a mass of fractured little pieces, and his knees almost buckled underneath him. He was right and it was making him sick.  
_

_She pushed away from him fell back to the couch, sobbing. Her stomach tightened into a merciless knot, twisting and pulling at her until the pain was almost unbearable. Grabbing at her head she pulled at her long, matted blonde hair, the realization of what she'd done finally sinking in. "I never wanted this to happen, but, but it did and I can't take it back!"_

_She knew she had just given up more than an unwanted pregnancy._

* * *

**Just so we're clear, Punk isn't angry over her getting an abortion, but rather over the fact she chose to leave him out of the** **loop. **


	12. she lied to you

**I'm baaaack! Did ya miss me?  
**

**I'm so sorry this has taken so long to update. I've been really sick, and I'm finally on the mend, I hope. ;) Thanks for reading, and I promise I won't take quite so long again. **

* * *

Phil lay in and out of sleep for over an hour now, unable to shut down his overwrought mind. As exhausted as he was feeling, every time he started to lose consciousness, something was hell bent on dragging him back to the realm of the cognizant. Feelings of regret, remorse, happiness, fear... all of them seemed to rush him at once as he lay beside April's quiet form.

_She made a fool of you..._

Blinking away trance-like thoughts and delicate, accusing whispers, he ineptly pulled April's body closer. He was dreaming now, he was.

_She didn't love and trust you enough_...

He grimaced in his groggy state, trying to will away the hate filled murmurings from his mind.

_She lied to you_...

Instantly his eyes popped open once again as that desperate feeling of betrayal and hurt started to consume him.

He could tell April had fallen asleep. Her soft, even puffs of breath spread across his arm as they lay cuddled together on top of the blankets, completely relaxed inside his protective embrace. He poked his nose into her thick, sweet smelling hair and inhaled the calming vanilla scent. He needed to remain in control... something was happening to him, and he knew if he didn't get a grip, he was going to lose the ability to think rationally.

Carefully, he extracted himself from the comfy little nest they'd created, and now sat with his head in his hands on the edge of the bed. _What the hell_... he vigorously rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair, feeling his entire body prickling with heat. So he wouldn't wake her, he gathered up his clothing and began dressing. He would take a little walk, maybe do some extra investigating on his own. Pocketing a small digital recorder, a flashlight and his phone, he quietly left their room.

* * *

Kelly had no trouble falling asleep this night. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted, the burden of her past was erased and things were finally going to be okay. She and Punk might finally get the chance now to rip down the barbed wire walls he'd erected and actually become friends once again. She'd always hated the pretending. The day he told her never to use his given name again almost killed her as much as when he said they were finished. In fact, it actually hurt more... he'd finally let someone else get close to him again. That was something she never saw coming. He'd closed himself off so completely he almost seemed robot-like to both her and Chris. Now here was this girl April, and she had miraculously unlocked the steel doors, and threw them wide open once more. Kelly had often blamed herself for everything that had transpired between them. She knew it had been wrong not to include him, let alone not tell him after ward. She had been with Punk long enough to know he would have supported what ever choice she wanted to make. Kelly knew why she hid it from him, and she'd been paying the price ever since.

* * *

Punk wandered the darkened halls alone, tormented more and more by disturbing thoughts of past indiscretions against him, and an insatiable need to get it off his chest. Why was this bothering him so much all of a sudden? He knew why...

"You aren't going to get to me with your bullshit tricks, Simon." He muttered, and took a seat on the top stair of the landing, setting his digital recorder down beside him. "So, tell me about yourself, douche bag."

He waited for a few minutes, but heard nothing. "Now you're quiet? You have no other messages to convey? No other havoc you wish to create? I can hardly believe that's true!"

At that moment, he heard what sounded like faint foot steps to the left and down the hall a little ways. His brows furrowed together and his eyes narrowed, and biting at his lip ring, he tried his best to locate the source of the sound. The noise almost echoed, like it was calling him, trying to get him to follow.

He smirked. "So you want to play hide and seek, huh? Okay, I'm game, ass hole."

Climbing the stairs back into the attic, Punk pushed open the plywood door. More dust and small bits of debris fell over his head and into this eyes has he pulled himself up into the ominous, darkened space above. Everything remained as they had left it. His flashlight glanced off various boxed up items and sheet covered pieces of out dated furniture, settling upon the small rocking chair that had moved on its own earlier that night.

"Alright, I'm here..." He announced in a silly, sing song tone. "Time to start the show, who's here besides Simon?" He turned on the recorder and placing it on a ledge, he waited for something. Anything.

* * *

Kelly's blissful rest was short lived. She started to stir in her sleep, as an unavoidable feeling of dread began to consume her as she slept. She began tossing and turning in the sheets, finally kicking them away from her body. Sitting up in like a shot, she shook her head, feeling the light sheen of sweat that had collected along her skin. She was clammy and jittery, and she had no idea why. Something was desperately niggling at her to get up. Dressing in a hurry, she made her way out into the hall and towards the attic towards what, she wasn't sure.

* * *

Punk started to thumb through some of the opened boxes lining the walls, his flashlight catching glimpses of long forgotten, dust encased odds and ends. Most of it he was sure had been from the mansion's days as a mental hospital. There were old instructional manuals on how to operate equipment, some nurses uniforms, and in one of the last boxes, there was even a straight jacket and a crude face mask. It was straight out of a horror slash flick. That one made him flinch. Just the mere thought of being wrapped up in one of those things gave him chills. Hospitals of any kind usually made him uncomfortable at best, and he'd been fairly lucky to only have investigated one other in his time as a paranormal investigator.

Exploring further, he casually scanned over more old junk when soft, a faint voice drifted through the stale, undisturbed air. He stilled, pointing his flashlight in the direction of what he was sure was a disembodied moan. He squinted into the darkness, trying to either see or hear what had caught his attention, and took a few more careful steps along the creaking floorboards as they sighed under his weight. When the light caught a medium sized old steamer trunk in the extreme corner, he felt an unrelenting, desperate need to open it. Settling down on his knees in front of it, he guardedly brushed off some of the decades of dust from the top, revealing an old name plate. _Simon Harrison_.

Phil's blood rushed through his veins and he felt his heart start to thud as he held the small flashlight between his teeth and anxiously started to pry open the latches. The rusty old brass fasteners gave way, and he grinned, slowly lifting the creaking lid and allowing it to fall back. Inside were a few books, some writing implements and stationary, and a personal notebook. He picked up the antiquated journal and started to flip through it. Most of the writing was day to day ordinary stuff... until he got the the back.

The writing had been done in black ink, except for the last three pages. Those were all written in blood red ink. He started to read, feeling his stomach start to lurch with each new paragraph. It began to systematically unravel each sickening murder Simon ever committed, in every gory, inhumane detail. Phil thought at one point he was going to be sick and closed the book, unable to look at any more before tossing it back into the trunk. This wasn't quite what he had imagined when he asked Simon to tell him about himself.

"You twisted bastard..." He muttered, and heaving a wistful sigh, closed the trunk up. Vickie had wanted to eliminate this spirit from her property, and he knew just how to get it done. April had taught him how to rid a space of unwelcome entities, and he would put her instructions into practice as soon as Vickie showed up in the morning. Simon was about to be unceremoniously evicted without any notice.

"Punk? Are you up here?"

"Yeah." He turned to find Kelly climbing into the attic with him. "What are you doing up?"

She shyly stepped over to him, tucking some of her long, blonde locks behind her ears. "I couldn't sleep."

He looked at her oddly. "I'm not surprised. I'm guessing you probably had the same problem I did."

"I just felt really uncomfortable, you know? I _had_ to take a walk."

"Me too, and it's proved to be very fruitful."

Her head tilted to one side, and puzzled look settled onto her pretty features. "Oh yeah? What did you find?" She asked, and kneeled down beside him.

"I think I found the holy grail where Simon Harrison is concerned, and I think it's rather significant."

She got closer and touched the lid just as he locked the latches into place. "What's inside it?"

"Simon Harrison's personal effects."

"No way! You're kidding me!"

"I kid you not. There's a book he wrote detailing his murders from the planning, hunting, and implementing of them inside as well, I wouldn't recommend it at bedtime. It's disturbing."

Rubbing her hands up and down along her goose pimpled arms, she suddenly felt a cold draft. "This is probably why he's still here, isn't it? Are you cold? It feels like the temperature just dropped a few degrees."

"Yep... I'm going to strongly suggest Vickie burn this whole thing outside. That should do the trick." He paused and had to agree. "Yeah, it is a lot colder now that you mention it."

"How do you know that burning this thing will work?" She asked him, ever skeptical of such things.

"April told me that if you take an object out of the home that had importance to the spirit, most of the time, the spirit leaves with it."

She stared at him like he was crazy. "That's absurd!"

His eyes snapped over to her mocking glare. "Excuse me?"

"You aren't buying into that bull shit Punk... please tell me you aren't."

He stood up straight and frowned, taking a couple of stepsaway her. "It might not BE bullshit. I'm willing to give it a try. It _could_ work."

She stifled a small laugh. She couldn't believe her hard nosed boss was going to try something like that. "You're just smitten and willing to believe anything she tells you."

"I wanted to believe everything you told me once upon a time, too."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Kelly certainly wasn't expecting that. She thought they had finally gotten past that one, sad time in their relationship. The air became instantly thick with unexpected, unresolved tension, and she took a step or two away from him as he brushed his hands off on his thighs and stepped past her, dragging the trunk toward the opening in the floor.

"I'm sorry, you know..."

Phil looked up from his task at the blonde young woman standing there, wringing her hands together and looking like she was scared to bits. He knew what she meant.

"I don't think this is the time or place, Kelly." He stated rather bluntly, and dismissing her, he resumed lugging the trunk closer to the attic entrance.

"Dammit Punk, listen to me! You wouldn't hear me out the first time, you just packed your things and left! I deserve a chance to explain!" She demanded, stomping her feet on the floor as she crossed the room towards him.

That tell-tale, smug smirk curled across his face as he sat back on his laurels watching his former girlfriend fume after him. She was right about one thing, he hadn't listened to anything she tried to tell him.

"Why should I hear you out now, after all this time? I wanted you to tell me that day, Kelly! You refused to let me in, you wouldn't give me anything..." He stood up and walked over to her, and in a quiet voice, he continued. "You shut me out of the entire thing, there was no reason left for me to let you in after that now, was there?"

"Punk... just listen, please?" Kelly looked into cold, dark eyes, hoping to see a small opening in his armor. "I didn't do it to hurt you."

He couldn't begin to describe the hurt feelings bubbling under the surface of his cool demeanor, and for a moment, he felt an uncontrollable rage building inside. This wasn't normal.

_She didn't love you..._

Simon.

_She didn't trust you..._

As hard as he tried, he was losing the ability to control his emotions _and_ his actions. Holding his head, he bent slightly at the waist, trying to shake the feeling off and took a few steps away from his confused colleague.

_She made a fool of you..._

"Punk, w-what's wrong?" Alarmed at his sudden change in attitude, she touched his shoulder.

Immediately he shoved her away so hard she fell backward. Kelly yelped as she landed on her back side, watching as Punk stumbled along the wall away from her.

"Kelly, get out of here, Simon...he..."

_She lied to you..._

Before she could scramble up and get help, he turned back to her, his expression not his own. He looked almost... evil, and Kelly felt her blood run cold as his eyes narrowed into little slits, and his mouth curled into a menacing grin. Simon had him now. Phil was gone.

She shuffled away on her hands and knees to the exit, but he was too fast for her. Kelly screamed when she felt him grabbing her ankles, pulling her back into the blackened attic as she kicked and hit him with everything she had, but he was too strong. She couldn't fight him off. He sat on top of her, his hands circling her throat, eyes vacant and devoid of emotion. This wasn't the Punk she knew, this was a monster, and he was trying to choke her to death!

Her heart climbed into her throat as she felt her airway closing off, racing mercilessly against her ribs as her lungs screamed for oxygen. Desperately, she tried to pry her fingers under his iron clad grip, but he only started to squeeze harder. Tears erupted from her eyes as she tried to speak, kick, push him off...

"Phillip, please stop..."

* * *

**Okay, filler chapter, but more will be on the way a lot sooner than this has been. Again, I am sorry for such a long wait. Thank you for all the follows and reviews! I love to hear what you have to say! **


	13. I'm sorry

**Here we are at the end! No worries, there is another one in the works. I am feeling SO much better now and I think I finally have what ever this has been, beaten. Thank you to all who have Favorited, reviewed, and PMed me. ** **I appreciate all of your comments and ideas.** **Your comments make me want to write. :)**

* * *

Kelly only had one other option... with all the strength she had, she pulled up her knee, making hard, direct contact with Phil's groin. That forced him to finally let go with a loud yelp before he could do any real damage, and he rolled off of her, falling to the side dazed and unbalanced.

Kelly gasped, immediately pushing herself away from him and grabbing at her sore neck as she gulped oxygen into her burning lungs. Her heart racing frantically, she watched Punk's breathless body, his chest rising up and down as he too, tried to catch his own breath. Oddly, she wasn't afraid anymore... what ever it had been that had a hold of him must have gone, because all she could feel now was emptiness. Recovering her courage, she slowly started to inch over to his prone form. She knew it wasn't really him that tried to strangle her, it had to be the entity. It had to have been Simon.

Punk had one arm draped over his face and he was still incredibly short-winded and he was aching between the legs. His mind was a befuddled mass of confusion, all foggy and distant, and he felt unbelievably nauseated from the low blow. He didn't know where he was or what he'd just done.

"Phil?"

He didn't move. Touching his chest, he slowly lifted his arm and tried to focus on her.

"Phil, are you okay? What just happened?"

He was at a complete loss to explain anything, with one of his hands now tenderly cupping himself. "I, I don't know..." He frowned, noticing the red marks along her throat. "What the hell is that?"

Her eyes dipped to the floor and she covered her neck with her hand. "Uh... Simon..." She caught worried gaze as he carefully moved into a sitting position beside her. "Simon, he, he tried to kill me."

Punk could feel his stomach start to tighten. "Please don't tell me that I... I," he swallowed hard, and moved her hand from her throat, running his fingers gently along the red marks left behind, "did this."

"No! You didn't do anything, he, he had control over you... don't you remember telling me to leave you?"

"No, I don't." He could feel a lump in his throat the size of a baseball. "I remember dragging the trunk out, but that's about it." He shook his head in disbelief, dragging a hand over his face. "I feel like I want to be sick. Are you sure you're all right?"

Kelly forced at weak smile for him. "Yeah, I think so."

He was disgusted with himself. Never had he placed his hands on a woman, and even though it hadn't been him that did it, he was used as the weapon. "I am so fucking sorry Kelly."

She could hear his voice breaking, and that almost did her in. "You have nothing to be sorry for, it was Simon, not you... I know you would never hurt me like that."

"You don't understand," he started to explain, and he grabbed her into his arms before she could protest, "I'm sorry Kelly, for everything. For not listening to you, for being an insensitive jerk... for all of it."

She hugged him back now as they both sat there on the attic floor holding one another. "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry for kneeing you in the junk, and I was wrong not to come to you... I, I was scared, all I could think of was what you'd said about kids before, and how you didn't want them now. I didn't want to disappoint you... I...I..."

"Oh god, Kelly..." He felt like the biggest jack ass ever now. He finally realized why she hid it from him. Had he been that much of an overbearing ass that she felt she couldn't come to him with anything? Obviously. It was more his own fault than anyone else's. "I, I don't know what to say, except, I am so sorry. I never meant to make you feel like that. I didn't know... I had no idea you felt that way."

She sniffled a little, and wiped her nose on her sleeve, still not able to look him in the eye. "I should have been stronger, and told you and that's that. Look, we can't change it now, but I was hoping we could move forward." Taking a chance, Kelly's luminous, ocean blue eyes snared Phil's regretful gaze. "I, I just want us to be friends again. You know, like we were before any of that bad stuff happened."

He pulled back and wiped away the tears starting to form in the corners of her beautiful eyes. "I'm still upset that you lied to me about something so important, but it wasn't all your fault, I had a huge hand in it as well. I forgive you, okay? I just hope you can forgive me for being a douche bag and almost strangling you." He let go of an uneasy chuckle.

She nodded. "If you can forgive me for that." She motioned to his lap.

* * *

April reached out to find the space next to her empty and cold. Startled, she sat up in bed, rubbing at her eyes. It was still dark, and she assumed he hadn't been gone long. She slid to the edge of the bed and peered into the bathroom. That was empty. Had she pushed him away, she wondered? Was he sorry for admitting to feelings for her? With her insecurities getting the better of her, she finally noticed something. Glancing at the floor, not only were his clothes gone, but so was the digital recorder he'd placed on the nightstand earlier.

"I had no idea you were such a workaholic..." She mumbled to herself, and started to change out of her jammies.

* * *

She grabbed a flashlight and headed out into the long, dark hall to look for her new boyfriend. He certainly was dedicated to his job, she thought, glancing the small light off some of the many ornate wall sconces and paintings along the walls. Without even thinking about it, she made her way right to the attic entrance, hearing both Kelly and Phil talking.

"Hey, are you two up there?"

"April, yeah, come and give us a hand!" He called down to her. "We need to move this trunk out into the back yard. I've got an important job for you."

She climbed up to find Phil helping Kelly to her feet, easily seeing the woman had been crying. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, Simon just tried to _off_ me." Kelly joked, and tried to pull her collar up over her neck a little higher. "Lucky for me, Punk saved my neck, literally."

He shot her an exasperated look, then started to drag the trunk back toward the opening in the floor. "You don't have to sugar coat it Kelly."

"I'm not sugar coating anything. Simon got to Punk... but before anything really bad happened, he snapped himself out of it, thankfully."

April let go of a relieved sigh. She wasn't surprised that he'd become victim to the entity again. "Are you all right Phil? You were sick as a dog a few hours ago when it happened."

"I think I'm good to go Ape, really." He gave her a reassuring wink and started to push on the trunk once again. "I've found the reason Vickie can't get any peace in this place, and you, my dear, are going to rid her of the problem."

* * *

"So, you're saying if we burn it, he'll be gone?" Vickie asked, her expression one of doubt.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you. April will say a few words, then we can light it up." Phil explained. He knew it might be a tough sell, but he was hoping that Vickie would be willing to try anything to get rid of Simon after all that had happened to them that night.

"Look at my neck," Kelly stepped up, showing the older woman the red marks still painfully visible, "Simon did this to me, do you want it happening to anyone else? Next time, he might be successful."

"I really do want this to stop..." She eyed the trunk and took a sudden chill. "I thought saving that would have been a good thing, obviously, I was mistaken. Okay, let's do it."

Chris and Phil poured gasoline over the old trunk, then after April read a small prayer, everyone stood back and watched as she threw a lit match. Flames engulfed the trunk instantly, and it wasn't long before the whole thing collapsed in ashes from the intense heat. All five of them watched until there was nothing more than a few embers left.

"So that should be it, right?" Vickie asked, hopeful.

"I would like to think so." Chris piped up. "I've never seen anything like this myself, so I'm excited to know if it did work."

Phil circled his arm over April's shoulders and hugged her tightly. "Can you feel anything now April?"

She closed her eyes, becoming very still in his arms and clutching her talisman, searching for anything on the other plane that could possibly be left. "The anger I was feeling earlier has gone. Now... now there isn't any of that. It's like," she opened her eyes and looked up to Phil, "it's like the ones that are left here are happy. That's what I'm feeling, relief and happiness now."

"Are you sure sweetie?" Kelly asked, rubbing her tender neck.

"Yeah, I don't want to see you two ladies mud wrestling anymore. Okay, I do, but you know what I meant." Chris added, scoffing at his own joke.

April smiled, confident this time. "Yes, I'm absolutely sure. Ms. Guerrero, your home and business may still have a few lingering entities, but they're harmless and fun loving. That bully Simon is nothing more than a distant memory now."

"Good. Once we have the rest of the evidence all packaged up, John will go over that with you Vickie. Thank you again for allowing us to come and investigate here, we really appreciated the opportunity to help you out." Phil said, and shook her hand. "I guess we need to get going now, it's a long drive back."

On the way back to the truck, April stopped him. "Hey, you're limping a little. What happened?"

"Oh, nothing Ape, I just pulled something I think, when I was hauling that trunk outside. That's all." He lied.

_Back at the office..._

"Hey Punk, I need to talk to you." John called down the hall.

The team hadn't even been back ten minutes and already John was after him. Phil scowled, tired and impatient to get home and into his own bed. "What is it now John-Boy? Can't this wait until tomorrow, _after_ I've had some sleep?"

Closing the door behind Punk, John took a seat behind his desk. "I wanted to clear this up before you left. Mister Heyman and I had an interesting conversation about the last trip you went on, where April joined you the first time?"

"What about it?" Phil casually asked him, and took a seat across from John.

"Why didn't you tell me that you both damned well nearly drowned?"

"What?"

"Heyman told me when he showed up for you both the next morning, you were warming up together and there was a pile of water soaked clothing in the middle of the floor. More like a small lake. He's sure you both went through the ice on the small pond in the cemetery. You of all people should know the procedure. You should have filed an accident report, Punk. It's company policy."

"I couldn't..."

"Why not?"

"Because, April didn't want anyone knowing about it. I don't have to tell you what I had to do to keep us both from freezing to death, John. Have a heart."

John snickered. Yes, he knew what Punk had done. "That still doesn't excuse the fact that you ignored policy."

"April was mortified enough when she woke up. I, I couldn't do that to her!" He was starting to lose his patience with this line of questioning.

"It was irresponsible, Punk."

"I didn't want her to be humiliated. Can't you understand that?"

John smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Look, I'm well aware that you two have a little something going on, and that's okay with me. I'm all for love and stuff, but but don't let it get in the way of your jobs. I know you have as much pull as I do around here, but I'm just letting you know, the big boss, he won't be happy if it happens again and he finds out about it next time." His teasing tone wasn't lost on his sour faced friend.

Phil stood up and leaned over the desk. "There was nothing going on between us, and she was worried the others might think she was hired because of it. That's why I agreed to keep it quiet."

"Was she?" John gave Punk a knowing look. "Can you honestly tell me she wasn't?"

"Yes, I can. This conversation is over."

"All right, but make sure you follow the rules next time, okay lover boy?"

Phil crossed his arms over his chest in defiance, snorting his palpable displeasure. "Fine. If you're finished dicking around with me, I'm going home. I can't even think straight right now. And this...it stays between you and me."

"All done. Enjoy your weekend off. I'll keep your little secret Punk." He laughed, watching Phil sneer at him once more before leaving.

* * *

**That is the end of Seven Devils... coming soon, the next in the series! XD**


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